In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit
by Khaleesi Khupcakes
Summary: IT'S HERE! Magenta has leukemia, the gang is in NYC, Columbia is dating... Brad's brother? Magenta will taste forbidden fruit and Brad will witness such garish things as chemotherapy, blood and Frank jazzed up on sugar and something else! RATED T!
1. The first damn chapter

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit.**

**Disclaimer- You expect me to own stuff? Okay... jkjkjkjkjkjkjk! Anyway,**

_September_

Magenta's eyes travelled a second time over the creamy-coloured ceiling of her hospital room. It had been a year since her brother's suicide and the events involving a run-down castle in Denton Ohio, since she had tried to go home. If the laser hadn't been broken, everything would be fine, and she'd be back in Transylvania, cured of the leukemia that had been in her life for twenty years, she felt stupid for not expecting it to get this bad, after the ten-year lull left over from middle school. She was confined to her room, 22, possibly on the verge of death.

...

Columbia burst into the depressing room, almost giving Magenta a heart attack.

"HEY, you're never going to believe this, I almost pissed my pants I was so excited!"

"Okay. Unnecessarily disgusting."

"Sorry, okay, so I met a guy yesterday and he has a friend and I showed him a picture of you, he heard the word cancer, turns out, he has a fetish for amputees-"

"Which I'm not…"

"…And somehow he just GANKED your number right out of my phone so… funny story, he wants to meet you! And you know, for the date, I'm gonna have to ask you to sit on top of your left leg and come in a wheelchair…"

"That's weird. And I'm not available tomorrow, in case you haven't noticed."

"Genta, please?" Columbia pleaded like a 4year old. "I don't want to have to tell him you're not interested, he's weird, he creeps me out."

"Find somebody else."

"God, you're impossible.

"So, wait, who did you meet?"

"His name is Jonathan. Hot as shit. He works here, so you might meet him sometime, he's an oncologist."

"Oh God, you're dating an oncologist?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Oncologists are annoying."

Columbia scoffed, "Stop making generalizations!"

The next day, Columbia was busy so Magenta was bored. She stalked people on Facebook for a few hours but it got boring so she just stared at the wall.

There was a thump on her door, it wasn't the noise someone makes when they knock, it was like a face on the glass.

Which is exactly what it was.

The guy had his face pressed up against the postage-stamp window in her door, he had brown hair and glasses and-_fucking shit_. Magenta thought to herself, _Of course he'd follow me to New York._

Brad Majors of Denton Ohio was outside her door.

Magenta's mind skipped between answering the door like a nice person or just hiding, she was about to backflip behind her bed when he opened the door.

"NO." Magenta snapped forcefully, pointing to the door, "GET OUT OF HERE, YOU PERVERT, BEFORE I CALL SECURITY."

"Hey, I don't want to rape you, okay?"

"I don't care, get your ass out of here."

"No, I'd remember you anywhere. Nobody has hair like that."

"Do you try to find people you know? In a hospital, do you just look into peoples' windows until you see someone you recognize?"

"No, but I saw your hair out of the corner of my eye and… it's you. Brad Majors, nice to see you again."

"It's been a year, how did you remember me?"

"…I broke up with Janet."

"I did not need to know that but now it seems even creepier that you're here."

"I'm… uh… I'm actually worried, okay? Could we maybe talk sometime, maybe, like, tomorrow?"

"Um, I d-…?"

"Great, here's my number..." Brad scribbled his number on a scrap of paper, "I guess I'll see you…"

With those three words, Brad Majors left the room.

* * *

><p>Magenta must have fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes, another guy was standing over her.<p>

"Hi! I'm Dr Majors, nice to meet you."

"Okay, what the fuck…"

"Excuse me?"

"You were literally just here."

"Oh, cute, you've had a lot of morphine. Call me Jonathan." Okay, so maybe this was Columbia's new friend. "So, Magenta Alvarado? That sounds exotic."

"Do you have any brothers? Please say no."

"Uh yeah, I have two, Brad and Steve." Shit. "So, you're 22."

"I see you've been reading my charts."

"You're too sexy to be in a hospital."

"Ew. Why would you…"

"Moving on. So… On a scale of one to ten where would you say your pain level is?"

"Like, six-and-a-half?"

"Alright, how do you feel?"

"Sick, I guess, tired. I haven't slept for 10 straight hours since Thursday-"

"I've been told the type of leukemia you have, and luckily, it's a very common type, very treatable, so death in your case in unlikely, but your pain level will probably be going up to about a nine with the chemotherapy."

"In all fairness, this is nothing new, I've had this since I was 2."

"Experience, I like it."

...

Brad came by the next day, Magenta fought the urge to violently strangle him.

"So, you feeling better?"

"You're an asshole."

"I know." Brad sat on the end of her bed. "You're actually beautiful, once I really look at you."

"Thanks, I guess."

"I hope more people tell you that."

"You're really weird. Okay, one thing you should know is that you can't treat me differently because I'm sick, it's okay to be pissed at me, it's okay to tell if I do something stupid, don't call me inspiring. I'm not inspiring."

"But you've had this for a while, it's commendable."

"You read my charts, didn't you?"

"Jonathan… uh, he has all his patients' charts."

"Are you really that interested?"

"I don't know why I'm so interested in you, you're just different."

"I don't know if that's good or not."

"Magenta… you're not going to want to hear this but… I'm interested in… you."

Magenta leaned forward and brushed her lips against Brad's face, stopping when her IV beeped in protest, he returned the kiss but jumped back with a horrified expression on her face. Magenta smirked,

"Why'd you stop?"

"I'm so sorry…"

"No, you're a pretty damn good kisser."


	2. You're no help, Jonathan

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 2. You're no help, Jonathan.**

**Don't own nuttin, never will.**

* * *

><p>Magenta and Brad sat on a park bench, red leaves hitting them in the head with the wind. Magenta saw a few leaves stuck fast in her hair. Brad was picking gum off the bottom of his shoe with a match, Magenta inched away, in case he lit something. It was October, things were getting dry and flammable. Brad looked up,<p>

"Oh shit." he whined, "Oh, God."

"Are you okay?"

"Can't people pick up their disgusting gum, it's revolting. I just ruined a perfectly good match!"

"You're really cute when you're pissed..." Magenta leaned closer to Brad, a flyer hit him in the mouth.

"OH MY FREAKING GOD!" Brad screamed. Magenta peeled the flyer off Brad's glasses and stared at it, she started laughing loud enough for people to stare,

"What's so funny?" Brad griped, "What if I got a paper cut on my eye?"

"Sorry, it's just, this is so friggin' cliche'd! This flyer is for a dance, like the kind where you bring a date and get smashed and make it look innocent and romantic."

"So? There's nothing innocent OR romantic about alcohol."

"We're going, i just wanna see how dumb it is! Hey look, it's tonight at 8:00!"

"That's in 4 hours."

"And you're buying a tux or something, I want to make it look like we're taking it seriously."

* * *

><p>Magenta and Brad pulled up at Brad's parent's house, or you could call it a mansion, A short, spherical, ginger woman ran outside, screeching,<p>

"MY LITTLE BRADLET, COME HERE, BABY! Oh, new girlfriend?"

"Hi, Ma, this is my girlfriend." Brad looked at Magenta, she started to sweat and said the first name that popped into her head,

"Eddie..." she squeaked out.

"Excuse me, dear, I didn't quite hear what you said..." Thank God,

"Magenta." she corrected herself.

"Oh, that's a lovely name, lovely colour, too. I'm Angie, if there's anything you need-"

"MA." Brad hissed.

"Sorry, kids, right this way." Brad and Magenta went inside, "So, what brings you kids here?" said Mrs Majors,

"I need to borrow Dad's tux."

"Oh God no, not the tux."

"Ma, I'm going out in 3 hours!"

"SORRY! DANIEL? GET YOUR FAT ASS DOWN HERE, BRAD NEEDS THE TUX!" Daniel Majors materialized at the top of the stairs, he looked like Robert DeNiro in sweats.

"Hey, son. You've gotta new chick! Whatser name? Man, that Janet girl got on my nerves. But you need the tux." Daniel revealed a parcel from behind his back, "Here the hell it is. You better not wreck it." Brad opened the parcel and out fell a very ordinary looking tux. Daniel and Angie's eyes gleamed. Magenta choked back laughter. Brad turned red.

"Well, try it on!" screamed Angie, "Daniel, show the boy how t'put the thing on." This highly anticipated tux was just regular-looking, with a weird plaid cumberbun and a bow-tie to match. Magenta almost vomited all over it, it would have made an improvement. Angie smiled creepily,

"So, Magenta, is it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh, please, call me Angie."

"Yes ma'am."

"Aw, you're sweet. Much better than Janet. A bit of a slut, that one. you seem like a very nice girl. Now that I think of it, Brad did tell me about a girl named Magenta, and that you were going out, oh, that was probably you, dear."

"Probably."

"He mentioned a disease, some kind of cancer, was it lymphoma?" Daniel interrupted, thank God,

"Our son... is impeccable!" Brad turned around. Magenta almost screamed. Brad looked like a mix between Rick Astley and Fat Bastard. He was scowling so hard he should have had a thundercloud above his head.

"I look like the 70's." **(This is set in 2011, once again... Sorry.")**

"You look precious, dear!

"That's an interesting tux, Brad." Magenta choked out.

"Doesn't he just look glorious, Chartreuse?"

"It's MAGENTA, ma. Get it right. We have to go. Goodbye." Brad grabbed Magenta's hand and dragged her outside.

"They seem nice." said Magenta.

"NICE?" Brad was losing it, "They're insane!" Brad started the car.

"Personally, they're the only upper-class suburban family I can actually stand, and besides, this is the only tux we're gonna find before 8:00."

"Why are you taking this so seriously?"

"Don't you want to see how stupid it is?"

* * *

><p>When Brad saw Magenta in that black dress, he knew he would never forget the way she looked that night. She had somehow controlled her hair into glossy ringlets and her lips were a rich crimson colour. The dress clung to her slender body and reached her ankles. It was black with white lace and was cut low enough to make Brad sweat like hell.<p>

"You look hot..."

"Shush."

"Okay...

* * *

><p>The dance looked like the one mentioned in My Sister's Keeper. Magenta tried hard not to burst out laughing. A girl and her date were pointing and laughing at Brad's ridiculous tux. Brad and Magenta stayed for a while until Magenta turned even paler than usual,<p>

"Brad, we're leaving."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know..." Magenta gripped Brad's arms, he felt her nails digging into his skin, through his hideous jacket. It was like she was dying... Brad dragged her out the door, Magenta dropped to her knees on the cold cement outside, leaning her face in Brad's shins, tears jerked her body. People were starting to stare, Brad grabbed his phone out his hideous plaid pocket,

"22 year old female, leukemia, we're just outside the Hilton- yes. Thank you." Brad knelt next to Magenta, the blood was coming out of her eyes again.

"Oh fuck." she breathed, "Aw, fuck."

* * *

><p>When Brad was allowed to see Magenta again, she was sobbing her eyes out. Her hair was clinging to her face. It was a relapse. Jonathan pulled Brad aside before he could say anything,<p>

"Is Magenta your girlfriend?"

"Screw off, Jonathan, you're no help."

"She's got a nice ass. Like, wow."

"That's real mature. Talking about my sick girlfriend's ass while I'm right here. Don't you know how to treat a woman?"

"Brad, Magenta isn't a woman. How old is that little whore? Like, 13?"

"Shut up!" Brad shouted loud enough for Magenta's eyes to shoot open wider, her pupils dilated. "You're an asshole, Jonathan. You know perfectly well how old she is, maybe she isn't the one who's sick, y'know, maybe it's you." Someone shoved through the argument and sat next to Magenta in an entitled way, someone in heels and heavy slut makeup.

"Frank..." Brad heard Magenta say, he froze. This was so fucking not happening... He pushed Jonathan into the little old Asian nurse-lady who popped up behind him, he walked over to Magenta's bed and slapped her drag-queen visitor across the face, Magenta jerked upright,

"BRAD!" Frank smirked, stood up and said,

"That's okay, Magenta." He slapped Brad back, and then Brad lost it.

...

About a minute later, Magenta was holding a bloody ball of Kleenex to Frank's face and Brad had a thing of ice over his eye.

"Brad, I can't believe it. What were you thinking? Lashing out the first time you see someone in a whole year..." The room was silent, Brad stood up and left.

* * *

><p>Frank's blood pulsed onto Magenta's hand and down her arm.<p>

"I'm sorry-"

"That's okay, I don't blame Brad for being on edge."

"But you didn't do anything wrong-"

"I'm a bitch..." Frank smiled.


	3. The Kidney

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 3. Kidneys and Bitchiness.**

* * *

><p>Magenta sat outside in the hospital's garden. A woman a few feet away smoked and read a magazine and a dog barked at the store nearby. Magenta looked at her hands, her black nail polish starkly contrasted with her unnaturally pale skin.<p>

"Shit." She moaned to herself, "Brad, I miss you." Magenta was exhausted, she lay down on the bench and started to close her eyes...

...

When Magenta woke up it was raining heavily, and she was drenched. The dress she was borrowing from Columbia was saturated with rainwater, Columbia was two sizes larger than Magenta, but the hospital was late giving Magenta back her wash, and Columbia always liked squeezing into a size 3. Magenta was a 2. She dragged herself inside. The first thing she saw was Columbia shouting at someone around a corner, she went over to investigate...

"-And you can't just mahch in here and be an ahsshole, even if he _does _desahve it, do you know heow Mage- Magenta! Will please tell this ahsshole to screw ohff!" Magenta looked around the corner and saw...

...

...Brad looking completely terrified.

"Oh, God." Magenta exhaled, Brad smiled nervously, Magenta latched onto his mouth and stayed there. It was amazing.

* * *

><p>Columbia came into Magenta's room the next night to find her sobbing into Brad's sweater with Frank stroking her hair.<p>

"Gehnta? Are you okahy?" Magenta looked up, her eyeliner was streaming down her face,

"It's kidney failure. That's what it is."

* * *

><p>Frank's acrylic nails flashed like little plastic searchlights as he flipped through the pamphlets Jonathan had supplied that mentioned kidney failure,<p>

"Here's one." He declared, "_You and Your New Kidney, _That sounds right." Brad, who had been sulking miserably on the window-seat in the room, looked up from the bowl of cookie dough he had stolen from the hospital kitchen and was now shovelling into his mouth like he was starving. Columbia smacked the wall,

"Brad, can you just stahp? No-one here is innerested." Brad put down his bowl and retorted,

"As if anyone is interested in your deranged dance numbers every 10 minutes!" Columbia jumped up with a dangerous look in her eyes, and Frank grabbed her by the arm and held her back before she could cause Brad any extreme physical harm, Brad held up his bowl of cookie dough as if to protect himself from Columbia's dangerously sharp fingernails, not to mention the evil emerald ring that stung when it collided forcefully with one's head. Frank let go of Columbia's arm in case he broke a nail and she crashed into the shiny tile floor,

"A little healp?" She moaned, Brad grabbed her shirt collar and tugged her upright. Magenta couldn't take it anymore,

"Have you forgotten the problem?" She yelled, "Frank, read the pamphlet." Frank opened the pamphlet again,

"Okay, A kidney can be donated by anyone with the same blood type, Magenta, what blood type are you?"

"AB negative."

"Oh, that's cool, me too, anyway, side effects may include-"

"I DON'T WANNA KNOW!" Magenta shouted.

...

Frank abandoned his pamphlet reading after a while. Brad finished his bowl of cookie dough and was about to sulk down to the kitchen to get more when Magenta intervened,

"Brad, baby, you'll get fat." At this, Brad dragged his ass back to the window seat. Columbia slid dramatically off a chair.

"I'm booooooooooooaaahhed." Frank looked intruiged,

"Can I shoot you with my slingshot pen?"

"NO!" Brad whipped out his iPhone and turned on YouTube, for some reason he was watching Fred Goes Swimming, for which he had expressed hatred many times before.

"OOH, I LOVE FREE-ADD!" screeched Columbia, leaning over Brad's shoulder and staring at the screaming child on the tiny screen, "HA HA, THIS IS THE PAHRT WHERE HE FINDS THE PLAHSTIC SHAHRK IN THE POOL!" Columbia squealed in Brad's ear, Brad jumped and shoved Columbia into the edge of Magenta's bed. Frank tittered into a pamphlet on gender correction. Columbia sat down on the edge of Magenta's bed. Crossing her arms.

"Brad, I know you're pissed, as usual, but theat's no reason to tahke it owt on me." Columbia stated, trying to keep a straight face while looking at Frank picking at his acrylics and licking his lipstick off.

* * *

><p>Magenta woke up the next morning feeling absolutely terrible. Frank was comatose on the chair a few feet away from Magenta's bed, and Columbia was strewn across his lap. Brad was still on the window seat. Columbia sneezed and opened her eyes,<p>

"Genta, you awake arready? You should rest more."

"You should brush your hair, it's in a rat's nest again." Magenta took her compact from her bedside table and looked at her own hair. There was less than before, probably the chemotherapy. Magenta started to brush what was left of it, Jonathan said it was unlikely she would be completely bald, her hair was thick and long. The hair clumps in her hairbrush were astounding. Columbia attempted to flatten her hair,

"Would you vote Frank nicest ahss of the 21st ceantury?"

"Ew, no, why?"

"Becawse I wouald. What do you see in Brahd, anyway?"

"Why are you in a love triangle with Jonathan and Frank?"

"Becawse they're both good kissers." Frank opened his eyes and starting screaming,

"WHY AM I IN A HIDEOUS ROOM?" He pointed an accusatory finger at Brad, who was lying precariously on the window-seat, "I BET THAT UPTIGHT ASSHOLE DID IT! Y'know, I never liked him..." A few joints fell out of the pocket in Frank's jacket,

"Omygahd, Frank, is that mary-wanna?"

"Yeah, I roll 'em myself." Columbia held out her hand,

"Loight it, Frahnk."

* * *

><p>Brad woke up a minute later to find everyone else in the room high, even Magenta. Columbia had Frank's emergency eyeliner up her nose on the ground, Frank was chewing a pamphlet like an animal, and Magenta was dangling off the side of her bed, snickering.<p>

"Y'know what I wanna do-" Magenta slurred, "I wanna get Jonathan in here and crack his nuts." Frank screamed and spat out a chunk of paper,

"YOU'D BE LIKE A SWIRELL! Sweak, sweak, crackin' up da nutties... mwahehehe..."

"Hey Fraggie Eryoufrum Minna-soda?" Columbia squealed,

"Whatchu axin' that forrrr?" Frank hiccupped and burst into peals of laughter.

"Cuz peeble frum Minna-soda, y'know whathey doe?" Columbia thrashed on the ground, "Yer eating papper! And Magenna's all crackin' Jonna-thing's nutzzz..."

"No, Clummya, I sed I'za grack hiz knubs, just tell the teapot t'shut up arredy!"

* * *

><p>"Whoy the crahp did ya pearents hafta come to my sihster's house?" Columbia griped as she set her sister's kitchen table.<p>

"Because Magenta is living with you and I-" Brad stopped in mid-sentence.

"Spiht it owt."

"Ilivwimmaparritz."

"Whaht?"

"Ilimmimaparis."

"JUST SAY IHT, I AIN'T GONE HURTCHA!"

"I LIVE WITH MY PARENTS!" Columbia froze, then started to laugh, until she started coughing,

"WHAHT DOES THAHT CRAZY BITCH SEE IN YOU? HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Stop laughing, you stupid floozy. I was in an economic downfall and Janet had just dumped my ass."

"I shoulhd'nt be laughin', it's just so fuhnny! Whaht the screw is tahkin' Magenta so effin' long in thehre? It's ohbscene the way that girrl takes so lohng to change clothes."

In the guest room, Magenta thrashed her way into a tight red dress Columbia has sponsored. It was 175 dollars and was pretty much a knee-length red-silk push-up bra. After a few hours she had flattened her hair and gotten the stupid false eyelashes to stay on right. Columbia pounded madly on the door,

"MAHGEHNTA, FRAHNK'S HERE, I'MMA SAHY WE'RE DAHTING TO IHMPREHSS BRAHD'S PAREHNTS!"

"WHAT?"

"JUHST GO WIATH IHT!" Magenta growled into her lipstick,

"If that little man-whore embarrasses me, I'll kick his gender-confused ass." Magenta slammed the door open and Brad's eyes popped out of his head. Columbia ooh'ed and ahh'ed in her weird Jersey-type accent and a knock sounded on the door. Columbia answered- Frank was standing outside barely dressed.

"Oh my wahrd**(oh my word in Columbia talk)**..." moaned Columbia, "Frahnkie you wahre s'posesta dress normahl!"

"This is normal!"

"F'you it is. Put Brahd's jahcket ohn." Another knock sounded, the room froze,

"THEY'RE HERE!" whisper-screamed Magenta, "YOU KNOW THE ROUTINE!"

"WHAT ROUTINE?" whisper-screamed Brad a little louder,

"That's right... JUST DO ANYTHING!" Columbia skidded across the floor in her socks and almost knocked over a pricey vase, Frank leapt through the air and landed behind a couch, Brad tried to hide under a lamp, Magenta threw a napkin for some reason.

"YOO-HOO, IT'S ME, ANGIE! You invited us over..."

"AND DANIEL!" Frank let out a muffled scream from behind the couch, Brad put down the lamp, Columbia put some shoes on, Magenta picked up the napkin. Frank didn't budge. Magenta inched to the door, only to be body-checked by a Golden Retriever.

"DOHGGY!" screamed Columbia, sliding to stroke the fluffy dog.

"SPIT MACHINE!" screamed Frank from behind the sofa. Angie popped inside wearing about 39 dead animals, probably tigers, sewn together, Daniel was carrying a bottle of champagne and an expensive looking purse.

"Say hello to Vitamin A, the family dog." said Daniel,

"Brad, darling, you remember Vitamin A, don't you?"

"Yes mother."

"Brad was crushed when he had to leave Vitamin A to go off to college. He's a beautiful dog, isn't he? He's won dozens of ribbons for jumping, obedience, fetch, Oh, I can't even begin to list them all." Vitamin A licked Columbia's face, she squealed and snuggled him harder.

"Ma, Magenta's allergic to dogs." Brad said,

"Oh, no it's fine. Vitamin A is _hypo-allergenic. _See, Brad! I'm not as stupid as you think I am!" Brad sighed and went into the bedroom, Magenta followed him,

"Brad, I'm not allergic to dogs..."

"I'm just trying to get that mutt outta here! That dog is unhygienic! And I know for a fact he is so not hypo-allergenic, My ma just says that, it's like a placebo..."

"He's kinda cute... Columbia's the one who's allergic to dogs."

"She is?"

"It's awful. Her eyes get all red, and her nose starts running, and she coughs really loud- Oh no." Magenta ran into the living room with Brad close behind to find Vitamin A on top of Columbia, she was laughing her ass off. Frank was peeking out from behind the couch. Angie squealed and clicked over to the couch in her heels, She picked Frank up by the hair,

"WHAT ARE YOU?"

"I paid good money for that perm, you crazy old tart."

"He's my boyfreend!" screeched Columbia from the ground, "Weh're deeply an' pass-yinitly in lahve!"

"Okay..." said Frank, "We still do it. But, don't worry, I use protection," Angie looked disgusted, Columbia attempted fruitlessly to gloss it over,

"He meahns he hahs a gahn in a case in his hawse!"

"Yeah, the... family... gun, so if me and Columbia are doing it and someone breaks in I can-"

"AREN'T WE JUST LEARNING SO MUCH ABOUT EACH OTHER!" Magenta intervened before everything got completely out of hand, "Angie, Brad will take your cats- I mean, coat, that's what I meant, Brad, do it. Now. Please..."

* * *

><p>About halfway into dinner Columbia started coughing, she was turning red.<p>

"Dear, are you sick?" Angie inquired through a mouthful of everything she had crammed onto her fork, a crouton landed next to Vitamin A and he gobbled it with astounding ferocity, Columbia sneezed,

"Columbia!" Magenta whispered, jerking her head towards Columbia's bathroom,

"I wohn't be a sehcond..." Columbia wheezed, and ran to her bathroom,

"Is she okay?" Angie asked in a pretentious way,

"She's fine." said Brad, "She's just a little weird..." Frank started to suppress laughter, but Magenta kicked him under the table,

"Ow!" he growled through his teeth. Columbia popped out of the bathroom, coughing violently, Magenta excused herself and ran to very Columbia was,

"I cad't belieb Vidabin A did thizto bee..."

"Stay in here for the rest of the night."

"I have some Reactin in my purse, I also keep some in my pockets at all times, I love doggies!" Columbia's allergies seemed to have erased her weird Jersey-type accent. Columbia poured a few pills into her mouth,

"OH CHRIST!" Magenta screamed, "DON'T OD ON THEM!"

Back at the table, Frank was carrying on about something completely unrelated in any way to anything at all... Brad was looking horribly uncomfortable, and Daniel and Angie were almost passed out with boredom,

"Ma, Dad, you can leave now if you want." Angie, Vitamin A and Daniel stood up nervously, like Frank was going to strike any second,

"It was nice to finally get to know you better, Matilda,"

"MAGENTA." Brad whined,

"Oh, anyway, I do hope Columbia feels better tomorrow."

"We do, too. Leave, please." Brad whined again until they left, when they did, Brad collapsed against the door,

"THAT WAS HELL!" He screamed, "AND YOUUU!" Brad brandished a fork, pointing it at Frank, "IT WAS YOUR FAULT!"

"HOW WAS IT MY FAULT?"

"Everything's your fault!" Columbia popped out of the bathroom,

Imma go t'behd now... I'm tihred! You can leave now, Frahnk..."

* * *

><p>"I think it went... nicely?"<p>

"You're sugar-coating it again..." Brad moaned from the bed as Magenta unzipped her insanely tight dress and replaced it with one of Brad's t-shirts, something Brad had always found extremely sexy that Janet had never done. "Why did they bring that awful dog anyway?"

"You said you loved dogs..."

"Not that one, he's a biter, he bites people!" Magenta lay down next to Brad,

"What was Frank talking about while I was in the washroom with Columbia?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

* * *

><p>Brad woke up at about 2:00 am to find Magenta was still sleeping, when he looked close enough at her face, there were a few things you wouldn't notice if you were looking at her from a farther distance, things Brad didn't notice before. Her nose looked like it had been broken several times, and there was scar on her bottom lip right in the middle, she had so many tiny scars on her face it made Brad wonder what Frank had done to her when she was still working for him. Magenta opened her eyes,<p>

"You're staring at me..." she smiled, she pulled the blankets tighter over the two of them and...

...

The next day, Magenta was re-admitted to the hospital, she had passed out a few times, once in the shower, and twice in public, all three times covered in blood, but for now, she was asleep in her hospital bed, and Brad was trying to look for anything he might have missed during the last time they had made love. He found copious whip marks on her back and chest, a burn scar in her neck, and a few scars from stitches in various places. Why did he love looking at imperfections on people he thought were perfect? Magenta opened her eyes,

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing..."

"If you want to grope me, you can just ask..."

"WHAT?"

"God, I was kidding." Magenta sat up and got out of bed, but as soon as she stood up she blanched and ran into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"Clinical relapse." said Jonathan, "You're a hard case, Alvarado..." Jonathan took off his pair of clear sunglasses and made a Rodin-Thinker-type pose in the chair next to Magenta's bed, Magenta, Brad, and Frank stared at him, unimpressed, Columbia hopped in a circle and clapped like a psycho,<p>

"Wow, I'm totally getting why she calls you Dr Power-Trip now..." Frank said without taking his eyes off the reflection in his compact, "Mmm, I'm a sexy biatch!"

"Magenta! You don't think I'm like that, do you?"

"What, a sexy biatch or whatever he was talking about, after living with him for a year I learned how to block out his voice..."

"No! On a power trip!"

"Well, see, you kind of are..."

"Brad?"

"Screw off, Jon." Jonathan jumped back in fake shock, Columbia ran behind him, squealing, Magenta and Brad went back to making out, Frank sat down on the window seat and dialed Lucille's number on his phone...

"Hey, Jessica? I'm in Magenta's room, can you come over? I don't have anybody to make out with, all these effin' happy couples, No, Magenta does NOT have a spare pair of lace tights, just borrow mine! They're in the car! Bye, my little slut-muffin..." Frank made a kissing sound into the phone that was so sugary Brad almost died of hyperglycemia.

"Frank?" said Magenta, "Her name is _Lucille_. Not Jessica."

"I just call her that, that sweet little slutmuffin, I love her so much, You know, I bet she's the only woman in the universe with a-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" screamed Brad, "Good Lord, man, does your entire life revolve around sex?"

"Is that a trick question? Because some would say, yes, it does, I'm one of those people." Brad made a loud sound of disgust and slammed his head, intentionally, against the greyish-blue wall.

"Okay, let's ditch the small talk and skip on back to the topic at hand..."

"Jonathan, talking like that doesn't make you seem any cooler, you will always suck." said Brad,

"BAHSTARD!" Columbia screamed, launching herself across Magenta's bed, Magenta screamed and Brad's chair flipped backwards,

"Jesus, Columbia!" Brad barked, "You're gonna kill someone."

* * *

><p>Brad woke up to violent coughing, Frank was across the room with his hands over his mouth, stifling screams,<p>

"AH, EEEW!" Frank gasped screechily, "That's just GROSS!" Magenta was laying in bed, coughing blood again, her body jerking with every cough, Brad screamed at Frank,

"YOU GODDAMN TWAT!"

"SCREW YOU!"

* * *

><p>Magenta was in a half-coma-type thing again, Brad was pretty sure Jonathan was injecting her with morphine every five minutes. She was leaning on a stack of strategically placed pillows because the tilting feature on her bed was broken because Columbia thought it was fun to play with when Magenta was in dialysis and she had broken it. Magenta jerked suddenly and began to cough again, the blood was coming up, the spasm staining most of the room red, this time she was sobbing, Brad ran to her, holding her,<p>

"Oh, baby, ssh, it's okay, I'm here." Brad soothed, rubbing her back as she vomited blood down his chest,

"It hurts..." Magenta choked out like a little girl,

"I know, love, I know," Brad tried to comfort her but the blood kept on spilling out, Brad's skin was stained with blood and tears, finally Magenta stopped coughing and fell back onto her bed, exhausted and trembling, Frank slid to the floor, his face was completely white.

"Brad, can you get my sweater please?" Magenta breathed, Brad took the black sweater off a chair and laid it on her gently, sitting next to her and holding her hand. He leaned down to kiss her pale face, her blood-stained lips, he helped her sit up and slowly poured a glass of water into her mouth,

* * *

><p><em>2 days later-<em>

Magenta sat up in bed, her hair was pulled back, the bright, dark red stood out against her ashen face, she was wearing glasses, Frank said she had worn them up until the time she was 16, then she started wearing contacts, but now that her hands were shaking, she couldn't stick a finger in her eye without possibly scratching her cornea. Brad and Frank had left the room to give her and Columbia time alone before another dialysis.

"Are you okay?" said Frank, staring at Brad, "You look pissed..."

"I _am _pissed."

"Why?" Brad sat up sharply from his sprawled position in the padded hospital chair,

"Frank, I know you have as much compassion in your whole body as a brick has intelligence, so I'll put this in terms that you can understand, MY GIRLFRIEND HAS A VERY AGGRESSIVE FORM OF BLOOD CANCER, AND POSSIBLY LYMPHOMA, THAT'S WHY I'M FUCKING PISSED!"

"Well so does mine." Frank snapped, "But you don't see me screaming and talking about bricks."

"Lucille's in remission!" Jonathan exited Magenta's room, pushing Magenta's wheelchair, her eyes were staring glassily into space behind her thick glasses, Columbia walked next to her, arms linked with Jonathan, Brad stood up and ran over to the three of them,

"How are you?" Brad said, leaning over to kiss Magenta,

"Better..." Her lip gloss tasted good... Columbia attached herself to Magenta's IV pole, Magenta inched over in her wheelchair, Jonathan smiled nervously,

"I'll just be going now... Have fun in dialysis, girls."

"Are you crahzy? There ain't nothin' good abouht dialysis, I lahve you!" Columbia squealed and leapt onto Jonathan, pulling away after a few seconds, "Woo-ee, I thihnk I'hm turned ahn!" Brad shuddered and Magenta stifled laughter. "Bye-Bye Jahnny!" Columbia took Magenta's wheelchair and ran down the hall riotously, almost running right over a 13-year old with a broken arm.

"That woman-" said Frank, "Should be locked up somewhere."

"Maybe the same place as you, my friend..."

* * *

><p>Brad lifted Magenta out of her wheelchair and laid her down slowly, He had moved her bed closer to the window, the outskirts of Denton never really had any nightlife, besides people screaming until the sun came up at the castle, and Magenta had missed Transexual, which was much like earth in many ways, most of the cities were like NYC,<p>

"Wake me if you need anything."

...

Magenta stayed on the phone all night, gossiping with Columbia like a 14year old girl, Brad just wished she'd go the hell to sleep...

"They had, like, a Vegas wedding or something, yeah, like that, what a slut! Yeah, totally. It's disgusting, it's disgusti- no, why? Oh, okay... Bye!" Magenta hung up and threw her phone carelessly onto Brad's tired head,

"Ow..." he moaned. There was probably a mark the exact size and shape of a Blackberry forming on his forehead right now... Brad could see Magenta's shocked silhouette in the light of the city and the window,

"Brad?" she said, "Are you okay? Can I have my phone back, please?" Brad tossed the phone a few feet, it landed in one of his Converse. If Brad knew one thing about hot, sexy invalids like Magenta, it was that they didn't get out of bed to get their phones, but there are exceptions for everything, and Magenta reached down, picked up her phone, and started _texting _Columbia, then speaker-phone-gossiping, Brad never thought he'd ever have to go to sleep to the sound of a screechy Jersey-type accent, he was wrong.


	4. Intermission Paler Than Before

**Paler Than Before.**

**Prelude to the 4th chapter of In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit.**

**Based on the cutting scene in P!nk's video for F*cking Perfect. Leukemic blood is lighter in color than regular blood due to the cell imbalance, Magenta just doesn't want to be operated on. **

* * *

><p>Magenta dug the razor deeper into her hip, so they'd see the cut if she survived and they went through with the operation. Hopefully she would lose enough blood to just die before the next day. A knock sounded on the bathroom door. It was Brad again. This time he came in to see her swimming in her own blood. This time he screamed when he saw her hair soaked with blood making it a darker red than before.<p>

"Brad, please leave. Now." Magenta breathed. "Columbia might think you got all this blood in her bathtub."

"Do you want to die that badly?" Magenta didn't answer. "Do you?" No answer still. Brad lifted Magenta's weak blood-streaked body out of the tub and lay her on the bed in Columbia's guest room.

"You should clean the bathtub." Magenta whispered, "And I'm naked."

"Yes, baby, you are." Brad drained the bathtub. Magenta's blood was dark orange rather than fully red. _It's her white cells. _Brad thought. _They're killing her. _Magenta drew the sheets up over her body. And who should barge right in but Columbia,

"Hey, I heard Brahd freakin' owt and- Why is my geuest room beathtub peenk?" Columbia asked, completely oblivious to Magenta's cuts on her arms, chest and neck, all that were visible under Columbia's blue guest room sheets. It was a wonder she hadn't bled there.

"Columbia, you're living with your sister and her family, maybe one of your nieces painted it?"

"Boite me, Brahd." Columbia shoved past him and sat next to Magenta. "Genta, why is there a blooahdy razah blade in the seenk?" Columbia caressed Magenta's cheek and said, "Whoy wouald you do thihs?" Magenta sat up, exposing most of her shredded upper body,

"Collie, if you were getting a kidney tomorrow, you'd be acting weird too." Columbia's brother in law crashed through the door, promptly covering his eyes when he saw Magenta's bloody pearls, **(A/N Talladega Nights reference.)**

"AAR-IIIN, YOU CREEHP, GIT OWT!" Columbia shrieked, punching Aaron in the arm until he left,

"Okay, that was weird." Magenta said, "Anyway, tomorrow, part of Frank will be embedded into my body, you would freak out too."

"I woualdn't cuht mysealf."

"Please, Collie-"

"No. You know whaht, you're one of my only frieands, I cain't lowse you, okay?" Columbia pulled Magenta into a weird hug-type thing, "Now put some clohthes on and go the fudge to sleehp."


	5. Student Nurses and

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 4. Student Nurses and Angie's Dirty Little Secret.**

* * *

><p>Magenta woke up the next morning in Columbia's sister's guest room, where she had gone to sleep after her brief encounter with self-harm. She could hear two little girls giggling across the room, she sat up,<p>

"HI, Magenta." said the older girl. "I'm Janice. I'm 9."

"And I'm Tina. I'm 6. You're Auntie Collie's friend, right?"

"Yes..."

"Okay." Janice chirped "We just saw you and your boyfriend doing it in here?"

"What?"

"I know these things, My school introduces Advanced Health in 4th grade." said Janice.

* * *

><p>Magenta and Brad checked back into the hospital later that afternoon after Magenta started coughing up more blood. When they got up to the room they found three women making the bed and scrubbing cookie dough off the window-seat. One looked about 31 and the other two looked too young to be professional nurses.<p>

"Oh, you must be Magenta Alvarado-" said the older nurse, "I'm Olivia Anderson, and this is my student nurses, Kimiko and Maria," One of the student nurses stepped forward and bowed, she was wearing cat ears and huge false eyelashes,

"Hello, ma'am, I look forward to serving you. I'm Kimiko Tanaka, but everyone calls me Kimi, I'm 17, this is my friend Maria Sacrangela, she does dialysis, you'll be seeing more of me, unless you'd prefer Maria..." This girl was looking at the ground, her friend was staring Brad down,

"She's new." said Olivia, "You must be Brad...?"

"Yes, I'm Brad." Kimi bowed again, Maria smirked,

"I look forward to getting to know you better." said Maria.

"Yes sir." Kimi squeaked.

"Alright, I'll leave you kids to it, Come _on_, Maria!" said Olivia, yanking Maria out the door. Magenta sat down on her bed, Kimi whimpered nervously and swayed from side to side, humming what sounded like Rebecca Black.

"Kimi, are you okay?" Magenta inquired,

"YES MA'AM!" Kimi squealed, bowing a few more times.

* * *

><p>That night, Magenta started feeling sick. Brad went crazy and Kimi broke down. Brad finally dragged her into the hall when Magenta finally fell asleep,<p>

"Will you pull yourself together? Seriously!"

"I'm sorry, sir, I just hate to see Ms Magenta sick like that."

"IT'S YOUR JOB!"

"I know, I feel terrible..."

"Listen, girl, you're pretty much being paid not to cry, so deal with it!"

"I can't. I hate when people are sick, it makes me feel so bad..."

"YOU DIDN'T CAUSE THIS!"

"Oh, I know, I should just stop, it's probably just the chemotherapy anyway... Ohhh..."

"Just go back inside..."

"Am I making this worse?"

"Just go..."

"I'm making it worse..."

"Just go, just go inside."

"Okay..." Kimi sulked back into the room, where Magenta was waking up already, Kimi sat down next to her,

"How do you feel?"

"Not very good..." Magenta leaned forward and coughed violently, Kimi jumped back,

"OH MY GOD, PLEASE DON'T BE SICK..."

"It's okay..." Magenta gasped, "There's no blood this time." Kimi leapt forward and embraced Magenta tightly, sobbing,

"I'M SO DAMN SORRY!"

...

Magenta grew steadily worse over the course of the week, and on November 30th, Brad drank until he was numb and Kimi cried all day. Brad was shaken from his drunken stupor by Kimi,

"Brad, It's Ms Magenta, she's very sick and she needs to rest, I'm sure she'd appreciate if you left the two of us alone, I just want to, like, watch her, and I think-"

"I was just leaving."

"Oh... okay..." Brad started down the hall, Kimi just stood there,

"What- Why are you just standing there?"

"Oh, I was just being sure you were leaving."

"Wha- Why? What're you- God, you're weird..."

"Hee-hee, I know!" Brad started down the hallway until Kimi went back into Magenta's room, he stopped, turning around and waiting outside Magenta's door.

* * *

><p>The next day, Columbia ran into the room screaming,<p>

"GUESS WHAHT HAPPENED!"

"Jonathan knocked you up!" Magenta guessed,

"No!"

"You're taking up working the corners?" Frank suggested,

"Whaht? EWW!"

"You work for the CIA?" Kimi squeaked,

"Who the hell are you?" Columbia said, shocked that this high school girl was wearing scrubs.

"You're thinking of suicide?"

"Boite me, Brahd..."

"Damn, I was really keeping my fingers crossed on that one."

"You cahn screw ohff, Brahd Majors, withouht me, you'd be either homeless or lihving in the same room from when you were eleven!"

"I lived with my cousins until my mother stopped drinking." Magenta stared at Brad,

"Your mother was an alcoholic?"

"I thought you knew!"

"Well, it explains a lot... The weird look in her eyes, the fact that she reeked of alcohol, the wine stain on the kitchen counter..."


	6. intermission Brad's Nightmare

**In which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit: Brad's nightmare. An Intermission... Again...**

**Brad has a nightmare abut Magenta going on a killing spree and Columbia drinking paint. Please enjoy...**

* * *

><p>Brad ran down yet another corridor, in the dark, he heard screams, insane giggling and other terrifying noises, it was like a bad dream... He turned a corner and saw Magenta, he ran to her, but something was wrong- why was she holding a knife, splattered with blood, why did she have that look in her eyes...<p>

"Brad, you're here." she hissed, her eyes dilated, "I've been waiting for you..." Brad began to run, Magenta whipped the knife at his head, it missed, Brad jumped into a storage room, to find Columbia, paler than ever, reeking of paint, holding a paint can and a funnel to her mouth, she spun around, grinning, her mouth and chest was stained with what looked like Pepto-Bismol,

"IT'S PIHNK!"

"GAH!"

"BRAD, I WANT YOUR BLOOOODDDD!"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

"I THIHNK I'M FEHTISH-IZING!"

"NO!"

...

"Brad? Brad?" Brad snapped awake to find Magenta and Kimi standing over him,

"Can I lick him to see if he's conscious?"

"Kimi!"

"What, I just want to help." Kimi ran away and Brad sat up,

"please don't cut me..."

"What? You were screaming in your sleep, you were talking about paint, and blood, and you woke Kimi up."

"What time is it?"

"4:00 am."

"Nice, I finally get up early, for once in my life and it's because I'm scared out of my mind, and you were there, and you were like, 'BLOOD...', and Columbia, Columbia was drinking pink paint, and she was high, and, and, and that was pretty much it..."


	7. Hospice and The Operation

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter Operation.**

* * *

><p>Brad had been drinking. It was evident. It was hurting Magenta, he could see it, he could see the tears in her eyes every night, he could smell the alcohol on his clothing that would make her cry, he could hear her coughing, feel the drops of blood that would come up. Columbia was bringing her back to Arlene and Aaron's house. Kimi was going to treat her at home. Hospice. God dammit...<p>

"I'm sorry, my love." Brad stared at her sleeping body, smaller and thinner than before, almost the point of anorexic, "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

* * *

><p>Brad and Magenta sat in the car, waiting for Kimi and Columbia, waiting in the hospital parking lot.<p>

"Are you sure about this?" Brad groaned into his hand,

"I like the idea. The girls will finally get to see that my coughing up blood isn't because I cut my lung."

...

When Brad, Magenta, Columbia and Kimi arrived at the house, Arlene ran outside and said,

"Kimi? Is that you?"

"Oh, hello, Mrs Tenenbaum."

"You know Kimi?" said Magenta,

"Of course I do, Kimi is our babysitter." said Arlene, "She's babysitting on Thursday." Magenta and Brad looked at Kimi,

"You have a side-job?"

"Please don't hurt me..."

* * *

><p>That night, Kimi wouldn't let Brad within three feet of Magenta's bed,<p>

"I don't think you really get it, I sleep there, too!"

"Her immune system is weak because of the treatment."

"I'm not sick!"

"But you could be!"

"I'm not, Kimi."

"_I'm_ not taking any chances..."

"Ugh, you student nurse-babysitter hybrids, I'm not sleeping on the couch!"

"I should hope not, that's my bed!" Magenta moved a little bit in her bed,

"Don't wake her up, you crazy little-"

"I guess you'll have to take the floor!"

"I'm not sleeping on that damn itchy carpet..."

"Well, you have to."

"Well, I'm not." Brad shoved past Kimi and sat down on the bed,

"This is impossible! Do you have any idea of how serious this is?"

"Kimi, for the last time, I'm not sick." Kimi started towards the door but turned around to clarify,

"Use protection."

"I'll do that." Kimi closed the door and Brad collapsed face-down on the bed.

...

Columbia woke up the next morning to be shoved rudely out of bed by her rowdy-ass nieces. Those little creeps... They stunk of Febreze... She stood up off the floor and opened her bedroom door, she went into the kitchen, grabbed a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and swung open the door to the guest room, only to find Brad and Magenta completely naked, making out, when they saw her they jumped apart, Brad held a pillow in front of his junk and Magenta grabbed her tits and screamed,

"JESUS!" Columbia screamed, "DO Y'ALL DO THAHT EVERY MOHRNING?"

"Pretty much." said Brad. "It's like a sun salutation. But more... _turned on_... Now get out."

"Why are you in here anyway?" Magenta added, "It's 7:30."

"The gihrls wohke me uhp."

"Is Kimi still sleeping?" Magenta asked apprehensively,

"Why?"

"I heard her screaming last night, like, an ear-splitting screech, then I heard a thump and I thought someone was breaking in." Brad interjected. "That girl doesn't shut up." As if on cue, Kimi walked right in, her hair was in what looked like a bird's nest on top of her head, she saw Brad's ass and lost it,

"COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP COVER UP PLEASE!" she cowered behind Columbia and whimpered until Brad put tied two pillow cases around his waist and Magenta went behind the closet door.

"You dumb student nurses." Brad growled. "You're gonna see it all someday."

"Heheh, NO!" Kimi said back, "I just came in here to get my toothbrush but I just walked in on... PORN!"

"Porn?" said Magenta from behind the door.

"Yes. Good God, I hate saying that word..." Kimi whined, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get my toothbrush before you contaminate it with your horny-ness." Kimi slapped a hand over her eyes and crawled across the guest room, grabbed her pink toothbrush and inched back out, mumbling random crap under her breath,

"Wehll, thaht was... nihce." Columbia said, still shocked that Kimi's voice could get that shrill... "Anyway..."

"We were making love..." Brad said taking off the pillowcases, Columbia obstructed her view.

"Ahnd i came ihn to..."

"You just came in for no reason?"

"You know I do thaht!" Magenta and Brad started grinding again, "WIHLL Y'ALL PLEASE STAHP SCREWING?" Magenta started to get dressed,

"If you ask me, you and Jonathan could learn from us. What do the two of you even _do _anyway?"

"We do... stuhff."

"Like...?"

"He... gave me thihs!" Columbia said, pulling down the collar of her shirt to reveal a hickey, like a little girl showing off a bug bite,

"Wow. One hickey. You could be the next Finchel." **(Finn/Rachel... GLEE? Anyway...)**

"Ugh, you're ahlready using Glee agaihnst me..." Columbia exited the room, slamming the door and trying to get the memory of naked Brad the hell out of her head.

In the afternoon, Kimi came close to a nervous breakdown. Magenta said she didn't feel good and Kimi almost died herself. Luckily, Magenta and Brad had to go to dialysis. So Kimi had time to recover from her almost-heart attack.

When Brad and Magenta arrived at the hospital, Maria was waiting patiently.

"Hi, Brad, Magenta..."

...

When dialysis was over, Brad was getting into the car when Maria stopped him, dragging him a few feet away from the car, until Magenta was out of earshot,

"Hi." she said,

"Um, hi?"

"Listen, Brad, we both know Magenta isn't going to last much longer, I mean, she might as well be terminal, so I was wondering if you could, well, give me a try..."

"What?"

"You heard me. Mm, you're so hot..." Maria leaned onto Brad, her face was about an inch away from his,

"You little bitch." Brad stared at the car, he saw Magenta looking back at him, "I'm leaving." He shoved her off, when Brad got back to the car, Magenta asked,

"What was that about? What did she say?" Without warning, Brad grabbed Magenta by the shoulders and began to sob.

* * *

><p>Frank was pissed. Lucille was visiting family in Albany. On top of everything he had to donate a fucking kidney today. At that moment he was sitting in the hospital waiting room, Magenta and Brad were next to him. Frank felt Magenta's light weight pressing gently against his left arm.<p>

"I can't thank you enough for this." she whispered.

...

_Fuck..._Frank thought as he opened his eyes to see Magenta, Brad, Columbia and Kimi standing over him,

"He's awake!" Kimi screamed,

"Where the hell am I?" Frank whined.

"You're at Denton Public Hospital." said Kimi, "You're going to be here for about another week."

_Fuck again. _thought Frank.


	8. What Jonathan Did and Brad's Problem

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 6. What Jonathan Did and Brad's Problem. Ha ha, Sonny is Frank's kid brother in this one. Awesome, and Cosmo and Nation are always high and drunk! BTW sorry about the hospital mix-up last chapter. I meant East Side Hospital and Medical Center.**

* * *

><p>It was January and so cold. Magenta had been admitted back into hospital after her kidney transplant due to complications, but the event that would scar her for life, both physically and mentally, was much worse than any side effects of an operation.<p>

...

Magenta's door was pushed open by Jonathan. She'd thought it was Brad at first.

"Jonathan? You're here because...?"

"Be quiet." Jonathan hissed, his eyes looked weird, "Don't let anybody hear." Jonathan grabbed Magenta out of bed and forced her against the wall, holding her there by her neck, he began to fondle her chest, his hands were vibrating,

"Jonathan, what the fuck!"

"Shut up, bitch." He snarled as he ripped off the mint green hospital gown Magenta was wearing, leaving her completely naked, Jonathan exhaled heavily, shoving his hand in.

"STOP!" Jonathan dropped Magenta to the floor and forced her legs open, she screamed again, blood ran onto the floor. Jonathan was obviously high as a kite. Jonathan grabbed Magenta's leg and dragged her across the room and threw her into a storage closet,

"Say a word and I come back for more." he said. With that, Jonathan slammed the door and Magenta slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"MAGENTA?" Brad screamed throughout her room, where the hell would she be if she was sick? It's not like she had anything planned. <em>Maybe I need some vinegar to calm down or something. <em>Brad thought to himself, he liked to drink vinegar when he was stressed. _There's probably some in that closet there._Brad dragged himself over to the closet, an arm fell out. Then a shoulder, when Brad saw who was in there he screamed his ass off.

...

"Yes, she was in a closet, naked, bleeding." Brad told the young woman at the front desk.

"Sir, I seriously _doubt_ your girlfriend was in a closet in the state you describe, if she was, that's a pretty weird chick, who's your girlfriend?"

"Magenta Alvarado on the third floor."

"The one with leukemia? Oh, yeah, she's weird, with that makeup and those clothes and that hair, she's looks like a goth lolita doll, but, like, sluttier... y'know?"

"Are you serious?"

"It's my job." Brad flipped the girl off and went back to Magenta's room, where she was coherent. The girl from the front desk popped up behind him, horking down a bagel,

"She looks like she's having her period." The girl said shamelessly through about a pound of bread and cream cheese. Kimi popped up behind Brad and squealed,

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Kimi rushed inside, "Who did this?"

"I'm not saying." said Magenta. "He was high anyway."

"He?"

"Jonathan, fuck, he was high..."

"Magenta, please don't do this. He raped you, pretty much."

"He violated me."

"YOU'RE SPURTING BLOOD!"

"Ugh, he was high!" Brad stormed out of the room and searched the hospital until he found Jonathan, hooking up with Columbia under a maid's cart.

"Jonathan, get out." Jonathan rolled the cart away and Columbia slid across the floor, pulling her bra up.

"What now, Brad? I was rounding second base." Columbia giggled, Brad dragged Jonathan away,

"You bastard. You stupid whore!"

"What're you talking about?"

"I've been to Magenta's room, I saw what you did."

"What did I do?"

"What have you been smoking?"

"Nothing."

* * *

><p>A loud knock sounded on Magenta's door, Columbia started to open the door, and was almost run over by a couple who looked eerily similar to each other, they were smashed,<p>

"Heeey, biatch!" shouted the man, "It's me! Remember? We did it in 11th grade!" The two started laughing maniacally. They were followed by Frank and a girlish-looking adolescent boy wearing a pink lace dress with, 'Hey y'all' written across the ass in red. The drunk woman had curly, messy, orange hair and a cigarette behind her ear, she looked angry while her male counterpart looked absolutely ecstatic. The younger boy stayed glued to Frank, they were holding hands. Columbia went crazy,

"AH! COSMO AHND NATION! WHERE'S AHNSALOHNG?"

"She's working. She's a stripper now." the woman said, she sounded bored. Columbia recoiled,

"Ahnsalohng?"

"You're pronouncing it _wrong_." said the man, "That accent really pisses me off."

"Aw, you're the sahme Cohsmo I remehmber."

"And you're loud."

"I LAHVE Y'ALL!" Cosmo's mouth dropped open,

"Gahd, Magenta, you look like shit."

"I don't really think you're in any position to be knocking anyone else's appearance, you have eyeliner on your teeth."

"It's mine, actually." said Nation.

"Surprise." said Frank. "I actually got you company!"

"Frank, can I talk to you someplace else, privately, please?"

"Sure." Frank grabbed Magenta's wheelchair and took her outside into the hall,

"WHAT'RE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?" Magenta shouted,

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"That woman, is a _nightmare_! The two of them are! And you brought Sonny to a hospital? Your brother? You know how far behind that kid is in terms of maturity?"

"He's Sonny. You know... You can deal with Cosmo and Nation."

"Hehe, NO! Nation is a crazy bitch, and Cosmo does more drugs in a day than you do people! Sonny is little baby and I don't want the three of them loose in a hospital! There are sick people here!"

"Sonny has grown up a lot since the last time you saw him."

"Yeah, sure."

"He has!"

...

Brad walked down the hall to Magenta's room, only to be crashed into by a woman with bright orange hair who reeked of dope. She recognized him,

"Is your name Brad?"

"Do I know you?"

...

"What do you think of Magenta, Nation? Didn't you grow up together?" asked Brad, the two were sitting on a bench in the hospital corridor.

"I personally can't stand the bitch." Nation replied, "She's ditzy, rude, she cries all the time. In short, she's just annoying. Dated Cosmo in 7th grade, biggest mistake of his pathetic-ass life. Her brother was a damn whore. We had a one-night-stand before we came here. What a dumbass."

"You really hate them..."

"No, no, no-" Nation blew some smoke out, I _dislike_ Magenta, Riff was awesome, until of course he went and got himself killed, Cosmo just adores Magenta, now, Sonny, oh, now that's a whole 'nother can of worms..."

"Who's Sonny?"

"Frank's kid brother, he's 16, he's got some kind of maturity problem, you'd think he was like, ten, anyway, he's in love with me and Magenta, it's the hair, y'know? He loves it. He's just not the brightest stripper on the pole..." Brad stared at Nation, she had brown eyes, Magenta said she wore green contacts, how could she hate Magenta?

"Son of a bitch, Brad, please don't do this..."

"Do what?"

"You're looking at me like that. I know how bad it feels to be cheated on, I might not like Magenta, I think she's a vapid little floozy! But she's too sick to feel like that right now. It's probably best that I never see you again." And with that, Nation McKinley stood up and left.

* * *

><p>"There's a snake in the grass, stick a bullet up his ass, stick it in, stick it out, like a good Boy Scout!" Brad heard when arrived outside Magenta's room, through the little window, he saw a teenage boy in a lace dress doing jazz-hands, Frank, Magenta, Nation, Columbia and what Brad thought was Cosmo, Nation's brotherincestous sex partner, Brad opened the door, the boy ran right over,

"You must be Brad! Sonny Mason Furter, I'm 16, it's a pleasure, so, I heard you and Magenta had sex!" Magenta looked absolutely mortfied,

"Yes, I'm Brad, and yes, we did have... sex."

"Great. I'm still a virgin. I turned sixteen yesterday, my mom says that's a record because my brother, Frank lost his V cardem at the tender age of 13 years frickin' old."

"SONNY, YOU LITTLE CREEP!" Frank screeched.

...

Two hours later, Frank and Sonny were lying face-down on the tile floor of Magenta's room, Cosmo and Nation were both high and somewhere across the hospital, Magenta and Columbia were yelling at each other for no reason and Brad was eating more cookie dough.

"Uhhh, I feel shistey!" Sonny whined, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Frank retorted with,

"Stop your screaming, you little snake in the grass-stick-a-bullet-up-his-ass-stick-it-in-stick-it-"

"Say out and your life is over." said Brad as Magenta and Columbia continued screaming. Sonny suddenly jerked to life,

"IMMA KARDASHIAN! IT'S KARDASHIAN TIME!" Sonny rolled towards the TV and turned it on, on came Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the Furter brothers fixed their eyes on the screen,

"Nobody. Talk." said Frank.

* * *

><p>The next night Sonny wouldn't shut up. Cosmo and Nation had set up a legit camping tent in the waiting room and Sonny liked sleeping on floors. Frank was sleeping on the window seat, Columbia had pushed two chairs together and Brad had come into Magenta's bed.<p>

"I love slumber parties." Sonny exclaimed, "They're so fun, Magenta, do you like slumber parties?" Brad felt Magenta sit up next to him, he put a hand on her shoulder and lay her down,

"MAGENTA NEEDS TO REST, YOU LITTLE JERK." Brad whisper-screamed, pulling Magenta closer to him in a protective sort of way,

"So do I." said Frank. Columbia just snored.

"Y'all shouldn't gang up on me like that." said Sonny. "I'm just try'na go to sleep nicely."

"If you stop talking you'll go to sleep faster."

"What she said."

"I agree!"

"FINE!" Sonny screeched, "I'LL STOP TALKIN'!" Somebody opened the door, Frank and the person in the doorway both squealed,

"JESSICA!"

"FRANKIE!" The person in the doorway ran to the window seat and her and Frank started making out, Frank started to take off her sweater when Sonny interrupted,

"Hey! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" The doorway person perked up,

"I'm Lucille Banks, I'm white, curvy, 5"7, 23 years old, I like animals and I once ate an entire chocolate cake!"

"Isn't she so frickin' hot?" Frank exclaimed,

"Is this Jessica, Frank? Your little slutmuffin?" Magenta questioned, "She sounds like she should be an announcer for a children's channel."

"IKR IKR IKR! That's text talk for I know right." said Lucille, "I'm so cheerful and welcoming! That's one of my many talents, Frank has a bunch of talents, too, he can fit my whole lips into his mouth!"

"Hell yeah. Sonny, get me a cupcake from the box."

"Do I have to?"

"YES."

"okay..." Sonny crawled over to a huge box in a Holt Renfrew bag and pulled out six cupcakes. "We can share. Everybody gets one. Even Columbia." Sonny slipped a cupcake into the back pocket of Columbia's pants, she rolled over and sat on it. Sonny threw two cupcakes at Frank and Lucille, placed a cupcake on Brad and Magenta's bedside tables and finally attacked his own.

"I have more special talents!" Frank declared, "I can swear a blue-streak, wanna hear?"

"No." said Brad,

"Okay! %(^&%##$^&*^$%$&^&#$%^&*(#$%^&*(#$%^&*#$%^&*#$%^&*(#$%^&*()#$%^&*(!.?/! You effin slut-bitch-skank-ass-" Frank cursed until Lucille stuffed his cupcake into his mouth,

"HEE HEE HEE, OPEN YOUR MOUTH!"

"Mfjdfbhsdfndj!" shrieked Frank through his mouthful of icing and cake, spraying Sonny with crumbs,

"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTHS!" Magenta screeched,

"PMS ALERT!" Frank hollered in Brad's ear so loudly that Brad jolted out of bed, dragging the sheets with him and tugging Magenta to his side of the bed, there was a loud crunching noise.

"Brad, are you okay down there?" she inquired,

"Oh, _hell_ yeah, just fuckin' peachy, Frank shattered my clavicle."

"I don't think you're a very nice person, Brad." Frank complained, "I just donated a fruggin' kidney to your girlfriend, you're welcome, by the way, Magenta, and now you're whining about your frickin' clavicle."

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS!"

"It's a shoulder-blade."

"Wrong-"

"Hey, Lucille, do you like licorice?" Sonny asked, Lucille replied in a screechy explosion of ear-splitting torture,

"I LOVE IT! EVEN WHEN IT'S BLACK AND GROSS I EVEN LIKE IT THEN! IT ALWAYS MAKES ME HYPER, LIKE THIS-" Lucille threw herself off the window seat and landed hard on the end of the bed,

"ARE YOU HIGH!" Magenta shrieked as Lucille crashed onto her,

"YEEEESSS! ARE YOU ANGRY WITH ME?"

"Oh no, I just love being dive-bombed by screamers who weigh more than me."

"SO-RRY! I REEEAALLLY HAVE TO CUT DOWN ON THE CAKE! MY JUGS ARE LIKE WOW RIGHT NOW! JUG JUG JUG JUG JUG JUG JUG!"

"No kidding."

"IKR IKR IKR! YOUR BED IS A BIG PILLOW!" Columbia shifted in her conjoined chairs,

"mmmmm..." she moaned in her sleep, "bo-na-naaaaaa..."

"Hee hee hee, banana." Sonny giggled, his voice was muffled, he was stuffing his face into his pillow. "I'm gonna get my Sweet and Low." Sonny reached into the Holt Renfrew bag and pulled out a little box full of artificial sweetener in little paper packets. Sweet and Low. Sonny poured each packet into a Dixie cup with 'SONNY'S CUP' scribbled all over it until the cup was almost overflowing,

"DEEEE-LICIOUS..." Sonny sighed, before pouring the contents of the cup into his mouth. "All that's missing is that vanilla thing-oh wait, I think I have some!" Sonny dug in the bag and pulled out a water bottle with 'DRINK THE DAMN STUFF, SONNY MASON!' written on it in Sharpie.

"What's in there?" said Brad,

"Vanilla milkshake." said Frank, "Makes him high! Carbs for sorrow, carbs for pain..."

"Oh no..." Magenta whined, sliding off the bed to where Brad was, dragging the IV pole with her, Sonny was about to take a sip when he screamed,

"METAL STICK! I WANNA TASTE IT!" Sonny slid onto the bed and licked the pole, "THIS MAKES ME WANNA DANCE!" Sonny started gyrating and IV-pole-dancing until Brad lost his mind,

"LIE... DOWN." Sonny dropped to the floor like a stone and the room was silent.

...

"Brad? Braaaaaad? BRAD!" Brad was shaken out of bed by Sonny. Who else could it be?

"What do you want, you little insect."

"I can't sleep."

"Maybe it's because you're JACKED UP ON SUGAR!"

"Sugar always puts me to sleep."

"I wish I could put _you_ to sleep. Euthanize you. Little... pet."

"I'm A HUMAN BEING!"

"Not the way I see it!"

"I don't care what you think. I'm a beautiful person inside and out and you can't tell me I'm not! My mother told me I'm a beautiful person and everyone loves me."

"Your. Mother. _LIED._"

"Suck a casserole."

"Excuse me?"

"Suck a casserole _please_."

"No. Go to sleep."

"Your lips are thin but your ass is fat."

"What?"

"YOU CAN HEAR!" Sonny hollered into Brad's ear, "I can't sleep. I can't. I can't sleep. I can't, I CAN'T SLEEP, I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" A nurse burst into the room,

"Who's screeching in here?" Sonny raised his hand,

"I can't sleep. I can't. I can't sleep. I can't. I CAN'T DO IT IT'S TOO HARD I CAN'T SLEEP I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN'T!" The nurse came into the room,

"Young man, I have to ask that you keep your voice down, we gotta lotta sick people on this floor, some of them are trying to die in their sleep right now. So I suggest you read a book, count sheep, do your nails, take a sleeping pill, give yourself a swirlie, chew your hair off, shave your toes, cut yourself, mmmm, self harm, play base-ball, fly a kite-"

"It's dark outside. If I fly a kite I'll get mugged."

"Just, count some sheep."

"Thank you very much, I'll try that. Nice lady." The nurse ran away down the hall, and Sonny lay down,

"ONE SHEEP-" he screamed, "BAAAAA! TWO SHEEP, BAAAAA, THREE SHEEP, BAAAAA! **FOUR SHEEP!" **Sonny screamed louder than ever, "**BAAAAAAAAAAA-"**

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

><p>Brad woke up late. Sonny had kept him up all night with his screaming. Little dumbass. He was the only one in the room. Something was very wrong.<p>

Brad ran down the hall wearing only boxers, something was happening and Brad didn't know what it was, but he had a pretty good idea, there was blood on the clean, shiny hospital floor, a trail that led out of the room...

"MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE!" Somebody screamed, unmistakably Sonny, Brad felt a wheelchair hit him in the leg, he jumped against the wall, Sonny and Columbia were following the wheelchair, and Frank was pushing it.

* * *

><p>The wheelchair stopped and Frank grabbed it's contents around her waist and carried her into the ER, Cosmo and Nation were still in the tent. Brad followed them, seeing Magenta's face when she whipped her head around, her nose, eyes, ears and mouth were pouring out blood and Brad could see right through the hospital gown that something else was spurting blood as well,<p>

"Brad-" she whispered but choked on another wave of blood.

* * *

><p>"I'm screwed." said Kimi as Brad, Sonny, Frank and Columbia sat in the waiting room listening to her go off about her career, "I can't be a nurse now, I'm so screwed, Olivia's gonna rip my mouth out... I should maybe just start doing meth so I die before she can get her hands on me-" Cosmo poked his head out of the tent flap,<p>

"Meth is fun, I have some-"

"SHUT UP, YOU NUTBAR!" Olivia came out of the room where Magenta was, a dark look on her face,

"Majors, I think you should go see her. If you know what I mean..." Brad stood up and ran to where Magenta was, she looked debilitated, there were bloodstains all over her, Brad gathered her into his arms, tears pouring out of his eyes, mixing with her's.

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"How do you feel?"

"I don't know."

"Majors?" Olivia poked her head into the room, "Can I see you for a second?" Brad stood up and followed Olivia out of the room,

"Yes?"

"Magenta's metastasized."

"Is that good?"

"Brad, that means the cancer's spread."

"To where?" Olivia bit her lip,

"She's developing bone cancer..."

"EXCUSE ME?"

"We've found cancer in her right leg and in a few other places."

"Can't you get rid of it?"

"If she improves, yes, if she doesn't, I'm afraid it's time for you to say goodbye."

"HELL NO!"

"Hell yes, Majors."

"That can't happen, she was fine yesterday! I thought it was just complications from the... operation..."

"We'll give it a few days, if we see steady improvement you'll be able to bring her back home where Ms Tanaka will take care of her but if she doesn't improve, I'm sorry, but that will probably mean it's the end. It's what's best for her. She's in pain right now and, well, you know-"

"That's some serious BS."

"I beg your pardon!"

"I'm not letting her die!"

"Majors- Brad, Magenta is a glorious woman, and I don't want her to die here, if she doesn't improve, I want you to take her home to die."

"No."

"Just make her comfortable, if you love her, and I know you do-"

"This is bullshit! She's not dying!"

"STOP DENYING IT, MAJORS!"

* * *

><p>Magenta went into a coma the next day. Kimi just about died herself. Cosmo and Nation stayed in the tent. Frank took Sonny shopping to take his mind off it. Columbia and Brad stayed in her room until Olivia told them to leave. Now they were waiting outside the room on the floor, finally Columbia said, quietly,<p>

"Do you thihnk she's goihng to die?"

"I hope not." Columbia smiled weakly and burst into tears, the sobs made her shake like she was possessed.

"Columbia, please don't cry." Olivia came outside,

"Brad, Columbia, she's awake." Brad ran to Magenta's bed, her eyes were half-closed and she looked tired and drugged,

"Brad, take-me-home..." she slurred through the painkiller. Brad stroked her pale face, leaning over to kiss her cheek gently, tasting tears, blood, powder, lip gloss, more tears.

* * *

><p><strong>(Author's note: BATHTUB SCENE COMING UP!) <strong>

Brad lay in the bathtub with Magenta half-asleep on his chest and her head on his shoulder, lips millimetres away from the red stain on his neck.

"I love you so much..." she wheezed softly. "I wish we could stay like this forever. I just want to stay like this for the rest of my life." Brad's mind began to reel. What if she died right here? What would he do? Would it feel different to be screwing a dead chick? That's when Brad lost it right there in the hospital room bathtub, he grabbed Magenta by the throat and without reason forced her underwater by the shoulders as she fought, hands flailing above the surface of the water as Brad held her down. When he realized what he was doing he jumped back in horror, Magenta sprung to the surface, spitting water, makeup streaked across her white face, she coughed and wiped a few soaked curls out of her face,

"BRAD, HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY INSANE! MY GOD! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" Brad hurriedly stood up and wrapped a towel around his waist. Magenta gingerly rubbed the white marks on her neck. Brad quietly left without another word. That's when it hit him. He _had _been trying to kill Magenta. He didn't want to have to worry about her anymore. He had been trying to get it over with. He was supposed to be looking after her. He had tried to kill the woman he loved more than anything and he felt terrible. Brad ran back into the bathroom and fell into Magenta's contact, sobbing. For some reason, he wanted to stay there forever.


	9. Radiotherapy

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 7. Radiotherapy. Hey, have y'all noticed that Sonny's full name is pretty much S.M Furter, as in S&M? That was what it was supposed to be, hope y'all noticed...**

Olivia came into Magenta's room beaming,

"Well, Alvarado, I've done it!"

"Done what?" Brad asked, clearly uninterested but still asking,

"I'm putting you on new treatment!" Olivia flashed a clip-board around the room, written across it was 'RADIATION, BITCHES!'

"You mean I'm off chemo now?" Magenta inquired, Sonny whined and downed another cup-full of artificial sweetener.

"Hey, Olivia," Sonny asked, clearly mentally screwed from all that sucralose,

"Yes, child-I-don't-think-I-know-and-don't-really-want-to?"

"Have you ever been shoved out of a tree?"

"Not that I can remember, no."

"Well, that's just too dang bad because, my brother, y'all know Frank, right, he donated a kidney and then complained about how weird it felt to only have one? He gets pushed out of trees every day where we come from."

"And where do you come from?"

"Transylvania-" Frank covered Sonny's mouth,

"He means, Romania, it's pretty cute actually, he goes around telling people he's a vampire, and he thinks that gives him an excuse to bite people whenever he wants, right, Sonny Mason?"

"NO!"

"Weeeellll," said Olivia, "This has been really nice... Alvarado, you start treatment tomorrow, Majors, get out of that bed, there's a kid in the room!" Brad slid out of Magenta's bed and sat on the floor,

"You're pouting again." said Magenta, stating the obvious.

"UUUGGGHHH!" Frank moaned, "I feel non-balancated."

"Grammar, please." Brad griped,

"I only have one kidney, what if I, have kidney failure when I'm, like, seventy?"

"You're quoting _My Sister's Keeper._"

"Am I? Isn't that just too flippin' bad?"

"It is, actually."

"Brad, can I tell you this little piece of information, just for, like, one second, you are annoying as fuck with your little corrections, and your little glasses and your little comb-over, so you can go stick your thumb up your ass." Sonny and Magenta stared at Brad and Frank as they argued and Sonny reached over, never taking his eyes off the feud, and grabbed his water bottle full of milk-shake and poured most of it down his face. Suddenly, Kimi burst into the room,

"HELL YEAH, I'M WEARIN' SWEATS- Are you okay, is this a bad time."

"Yes." said Brad, turning around, Kimi's eyes widened in horror,

"Okay, my apologies, sir..."

"Don't call me sir."

"Sorry, sir-whoops-"

* * *

><p>Columbia was going to bring Magenta home anyway. She didn't care what Olivia said. Nobody ever does, really, Kimi was a nutty little Japanese schoolgirl who looked like she had whimsically skipped out of an adult manga, she was also a kiss-ass. Sonny was completely insane, Cosmo and Nation were clueless druggies and Brad and Frank just argued all day. Magenta, Brad and Kimi were already in the car, Columbia started the engine,<p>

"Are we going back to your sister's house?" Kimi asked, gripping a magazine tightly and smiling like a nuthouse,

"Yehs."

"YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! I CAN PLAY WITH JANICE AND TINA! THEY'RE SO CUTE!"

"SHUT UP!" Brad roared,

"yes sir."

"Don't call me sir."

"Yes sir- AAUGH!" The argument continued until Columbia pulled into Arlene's driveway. Magenta and Brad got out of the car, Brad took his jacket off and gave it to Magenta, Kimi sat in the front seat, Columbia looked over at her, Kimi stared back and without warning...

...

Gave Columbia a deep kiss.

"OH MY GAHD!" Columbia jumped back, "Did you juhst give me a lehsbian kiss?"

"I'm sorry, Ms Columbia, I've been a bisexual since 4th grade, this is my first girl-on-Kimi kiss. E-**VER**!"

"Wehll, I'm straihght. Why dihdn't you tehll anyone?"

"I just hate those fucking biphobes!" Since when did Kimi swear...? "I mean, I always saw Magenta and Brad as being like, really All-American... And I thought Magenta might be uncomfortable with having someone like me touching her- Well- you know, the two of them just seem so wholesome and- so un-2011..."

"Magehnta? All-Amehrican? Honey, you're so wrohng abouht thaht..." Kimi slid out of the car,

"I'm going inside. I'm going to go tell everyone." Kimi ran inside. The girl was screwed, Magenta might not be All-American, but Brad certainly was... Columbia slammed her forehead into the steering wheel, honking the horn,

"HOLY FUHCK!" Brad ran outside,

"Are you okay out here? It sounded like you were being raped."

"SHE'S 17 AND VEHRY CONFUHSED!"

* * *

><p>Brad near lost it the next day. Frank and Sonny arrived at Columbia's sister's house just when he heard the news. His brother was back from college. And his mother had called to tell him to come 'Welcome Stevie back home, he's been away long enough!'. He was on the phone,<p>

"I don't see why you can't bring your little girlfriend, she seems very nice..."

"She's sick, I can't take her out of the house."

"I guess you'll just have to take a night off from playing the supportive boyfriend!"

"I can't leave her alone, the student nurse is a goddamn manga character, Columbia is a tap-dancing dog whistle, Frank and Sonny are Creepy-Ass Tranny Twins on Stimulants, and I don't want to leave her alone with those people!"

"Well, you have to! Stevie is going to be wondering where you are! Even Jon is taking a few days off from work!"

"Oh, Jon..."

"Brad, don't sass me, you're coming home, and that's it and that's final!" Angie hung up.

...

That night, Frank heard Magenta whispering from her bed,

"Frank, come here."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Can you sleep with me?"

"You mean-"

"NO!" Frank lay down next to Magenta, she was shivering. _She's always shivering, though... _Frank thought to himself. He pulled the sheets tighter over the two of them and Sonny made a weird moaning noise, he was sleeping in the bathtub with the curtains wrapped around him tightly.

"I guess I just kind of got used to Brad always being with me at night."

"I don't mind."

...

Frank had lied. He most definitely DID mind. A lot. He waited until Magenta was sleeping and called Brad on her phone, he obviously knew her password; Bitchslap. Brad answered,

"Hey, honey, how are you?"

"It's me."

"GAH! FRANK? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Okay, it's kind of complicated..."

"My whole fucking life is complicated, go ahead and tell me."

"Well, Magenta wanted me to sleep with her- like not sex, like just in the same bed, right?- So, I got into bed with her, but she smells like hospital and blood and fucking perfume, she keeps on shivering like a damn hairless cat in a snowstorm, she screams your name in her sleep and I have a boner the fucking size of fucking Canada! Are you coming back or not?"

"First of all, you have to get out of the bed, as long as you're either awake or back in the bed when she wakes up."

"Right." Frank stood up and went a few steps away from the bed, "Now what?"

"Hang up... the phone."

"Right." Frank hung up Magenta's phone.

"NOW WHAT?" He screamed at the Blackberry sitting on the bed, Magenta moved a little, Frank sat down quickly and shut his eyes. Damn was he glad Lucille was in remission...

...

When Brad got home he found Frank passed out on the carpet with one leg in Magenta's bed, he had been eating cake and nachos, he had cheese and icing smeared all over his face, neck and hands. Magenta was sleeping like she always did, on her side of the bed, the sheets covering most of her face, Brad felt _himself_ getting a fucking boner the size of fucking Canada... He kicked Frank out of the way and lay down next to Magenta.

"Mmm, Brad..." she slurred, Brad held her tightly,

"I'm here..."

"How was it?"

"Steve tried to keep me longer."

"Why didn't you stay?"

"Because Frank called me, and he told me to come back to you."

* * *

><p>Brad woke up early the next morning and watched TV for a few hours. Janice and Tina were being little bitches as usual, Sonny and Kimi were both naked on the kitchen floor doing some kind of creepy high-schooler thing, Aaron and Arlene were talking in their bedroom, Frank and Columbia were arguing over who got to shower first. Was Magenta seriously the only one who slept anymore...? Brad didn't notice the screaming as he immersed himself in Jersey Shore...<p>

The show ended and the screaming was still going strong, Frank burst out of the room,

"BRAD, ARE YOU MENTALLY FUCKED IN HERE? GET THE HELL IN HERE!" Brad stood up reluctantly, when he got into the guest room he was bitchslapped by a few drops of blood. Columbia was standing in front of the source of the blood and Kimi was standing against the wall drying tears. Magenta was spurting blood from between her legs.

* * *

><p>The next day was the first radiotherapy session. Kimi drove Magenta and Brad to the hospital. She almost wrecked Brad's car and stopped a few feet before every light, only to have the car lurch forward, stop, creep forward a little ways and stop abruptly. As soon as the three of them got out of the car there was a noise of what sounded like someone banging on a window, Brad turned around to see Sonny with his face pressed against the back window, smudging chocolate across the glass.<p>

"SON-SHINE!" Kimi shrieked, running back to the car and opening the trunk, Sonny tumbled out,

"Ow."

"Why were you in there?" Brad inquired rudely, Sonny hid behind Kimi, Magenta opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

"I wanted to see a real-live hospital."

"You've been here before..."

"Yeah, but I've never seen anybody get radiated before."

"That's nice."

"Do you go inside a radiator? Like on the wall? Are you gonna spritz out blood again? That scared the crap outta me, Brad, got any Sweet&Low? I'm feelin' kinda weird..."

* * *

><p>While Magenta was in treatment Brad felt somebody tap his shoulder, Olivia.<p>

"What?" Olivia was grinning,

"NEW MEDS!" She shrieked, louder than Columbia, she shook a bag that sounded like it was full of pills. Olivia ripped the bag open and piled a few bottles of pills into Brad's hands,

"You're trying to medicate me?"

"They're for Magenta! Silly! Wee!" Olivia fell over,

"Did you take a few?"

"Tee hee hee, NO! I'M DRUNK, SMARTY-PANTS!"

"You're a nutbar."

"NO YOU'RE A NUTBAR! aaahhh, I love you, Magenta, here's ya new thingies, ohhh!" Olivia fell to the ground, giggling some more, Kimi brought Magenta out in a wheelchair, Magenta looked almost as high as Olivia.

* * *

><p>That night Kimi explained the new drug,<p>

"-And it's a debilitating one, so we're taking her off the sleeping pill at night-" Magenta's phone rang, she looked at the caller ID,

"Fuck." she whispered, "It's Sonny."

"What?"

"Sonny just called me."

"So?"

"So that high-strung brat is the last person I want to talk to." Magenta pressed talk, "Hi Sonny! No, why? No, he didn't, she's here- Kimi, it's for you." Kimi ran over,

"HI SON-SHINE! No, I'm not busy, totally, that sounds nice! Okay, bye-bye!" She hung up, "SON-SHINE ASKED ME OUT! We're gonna go have fun!"

"What kind of fun?"

"DANGEROUS FUN!" Kimi's eyes were gleaming, and it wasn't because of the weird pink contacts she was wearing.

* * *

><p>The car pulled up at a mall parking lot, Sonny had told Kimi to meet him in the parking lot, Kimi got out of the car,<p>

"Remember Kimi, 'Trust me' is NOT a sensible birth control option." Magenta reminded as Kimi ran to Sonny, he was holding a baseball bat and an orange.

...

Kimi came home drunk. She had gotten Maria to drive her home, she found Brad and Magenta making out on the living room couch when she came home,

"Hiiii..." she slurred, "I hasomuchfunt'nite, fankyu, Sunny-shiny... I liek dem panty-droppin'..." Magenta and Brad broke apart when they heard Kimi's drunken voice blaring in the doorway, thank God Tina and Janice closed their bedroom door.

"What happened?"

"Awwww, Magenna... I wuv you so much..."

"What did Sonny give you?"

"I think I needa Bwuddy Martha..."

"That would be Bloody _Mary_." Brad corrected, "And yeah, you had little too much of whatever he gave you." Kimi turned green and ran into the guest bathroom, Magenta followed her, there was a retching noise and Brad entered the bathroom to find Kimi puking into the toilet with Magenta holding her hair and cat ears,

"Dat feeled good..." Kimi let out a bit more, "Me'an Sunny did some tekilia shootin'..."

"And how old did you say you were?"

"Seva-neen."

"Exactly."

* * *

><p>Laying on the carpet, Brad began to grind a little harder, Magenta exhaled heavily as he dug in,<p>

"DO IT!" She whispered harshly, Brad began to dig in harder, after about a minute of grinding he fell back, exhausted,

"That felt good..." Brad sighed, no response. "Magenta?"

Her eyes were glazed over.

"WAKE UP!" Kimi emerged in the doorway, she was still hungover and had been chugging down 'Bwuddy Marthas' as if her life depended on it,

"You're really stupid." she smirked, taking a haul on her Hair O' The Dog, "That's normal, I told you it was debilitating. It's normal to pass out. Especially during... sex..."

"You nutty little bitch." Brad growled, "Couldn't you tell me?"

"Nope! it was too funny to see you freaking out," Kimi did a bad impression of Brad's episode, "WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP! Too hilarious! I should hide some cameras around, y'know! WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UUUUPPPP!"

"Can I drown you?"

"Just try." Brad stood up and Kimi began to back away,

"Sir, I was kidding!" She was brown-nosing again,

"NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN."

"What mistake? You were the one who was all like-"

"Say 'wake up' and I'll overdose you on some of those debilitating... meth... things..."

* * *

><p>The next day Sonny wouldn't shut up about how he was 'ashamed of himself', he had eaten his way through a rack of chips at his new job as a cashier at the grocery store near the hospital,<p>

"I can't do it anymore, it's _reeeeaaaaal_ confuzzling."

"That isn't a word."

"SHOVE IT, BRAD!"

"You shove it."

"NO. I have bad-buns luck at that store. I even yelled at Frank for getting in the express lane with more than eight items."

"Okay, it was one can of peas!"

"There's thousands of those little green suckers in there!" Sonny glanced at his phone, "Hey, Magenta, Nation wants to know why you pass out- I'm just gonna text back that she looks like an orange, because that's a friggin' rude questionism. I'm gonna guestimate she's pissed again, the biowtch is always high."

"I'll never understand children." said Kimi, downing another 'Bwuddy Martha'. Somebody knocked on the door, Magenta stood up and opened the door,

"Oh, shit, NATION, COSMO! You showed up..."

"Is that-" Brad smelled the dope, "Yeah, it IS." Nation and Cosmo ran inside, sitting on the couch and ripping each other's clothes off,

"You're high!"

"We know!"

"You know, two kids live here..."

"You got kidlets?"

"No, but-"

"Don't tryta lie t'meeee, Magenta Alva-fuckin'-Rado."

"Can you chew with your mouth closed?"

"I DON'WANNA!" Nation opened her mouth unnecessarily wide, showing a few heavily used apple slices,

"I FUCKING SCREWED THE FUCKING MARSHMALLOW WHORE!" Cosmo whined, Nation burst into peals of laughter and threw herself onto the carpet,

"SONNY GIMME A FRUCKING PEACH!"

"Nu-uh! You won't chew with your mouth shut!"

"Ha ha, apsa-tively prostitutely." Nation shot back,

"What?"

"Suck a Kleenex."

* * *

><p>That night the house was noisier than ever. Arlene and Aaron had friends over and the girls were playing Wii Sports Resort until the crack of dawn. Brad was the only one awake in the guest room, both he and Magenta were topless, Magenta's head was on his shoulder and her hair was tickling like hell.<p>

"You're so beautiful." Brad whispered, "I'll never leave you." Magenta opened her eyes and moved in closer, Aaron burst though the door,

"HOLY FUCK!" Brad screeched, the two of them sat up, Aaron's eyes gleamed at the sight of Magenta's tits,

"I- mmmm- I'm sorry- I- yum- I thought I heard... *lick* Tina- I'm leaving-" Aaron began to back out the door, Magenta got out of bed, walked over to him, kneed him in the balls and got back into bed, "That really hurt, you stupid whore..."

"The door's right over there."

"I can see tit- I mean it, I mean, good lord, this is really uncomfortable, mmmm-"

"Can you just leave?" Aaron lay down on the floor like a little kid,

"I don't _wanna_!"

"GET. OUT." Brad growled, he could feel his face turning red, he started to vibrate and Magenta elbowed him. Really hard. He dropped to the mattress like Sonny whenever his sugar rush wore off,

"Can this be our little secret?"

"Aaron." said Magenta in a nauseatingly sweet way, "I'm about five seconds away from slapping you so hard your teeth will bleed."

"Sounds cool to me."

"Five, four, three-" Aaron opened the door and ran. Brad and Magenta got back to making love.

* * *

><p>Brad was woken up at about 2:00 am by Columbia,<p>

"Go awaaaayyyy..." He whined, only the be ripped out of bed and dragged into the living room. Where Kimi, Olivia, Frank, Sonny and a man and woman who looked about 42 were gathered.

"Brahd, we hahve to tahlk."

"What- Why?" Olivia inhaled deeply,

"This isn't easy for me to say, and it won't be easy for you to hear, but, Magenta isn't going to make it."

"What?"

"She's terminal." Kimi choked out through a quiet sob, "It's over." Brad's eyes began to heat up and water,

"Does she know?" Olivia shook her head,

"If you were 22 and on the verge of death would you want to know?"

"She has a right to know."

"If I may-" said the woman Brad didn't know, "My husband and I would like to bring her home, back to her _real_ home."

"If you're talking about Transsexual-" Frank interjected,

"Of course we are!" The man replied, "We said bring her home, not leave her here, this is what she wants!"

"To die?"

"To be at home! To wear fishnets when she dies, Transsexual is exactly like Earth, except better."

"Is that your town?" Kimi inquired, oblivious as to what Transsexual was.

"Excuse me." said Brad, "But who are you exactly?"

"Oh, I'm Sonja Alvarado, and this is my husband, Jerome Alvarado, we're Magenta's parents."

"You must be the famous Brad Majors." said the man, "Our little 'Genta's told us all about you, how great you are in, heh, _bed_."

"Can we get back to what we were discussing?" said Kimi, exasperated.

"No." said Sonja, "Can I see her?"

"She's sleeping."

"Can I wake her up."

"She needs to rest-" Sonja stood up and ran into the guest room.

* * *

><p>The next day was more radiotherapy, Sonja claimed she knew NYC like the back of her hand, Brad just wished she knew how to operate a car, just as Sonja drove right up onto the sidewalk, almost killing a teenage couple who were sharing a banana cream pie and knocking over a trash can, the airbag shot up into Magenta's face and Brad was tossed forward, narrowly saved by his loose seatbelt,<p>

"MA!"

"What, darling, I think I'm doing very well- GET OUTTA THE WAY, STUPID ASS! Yeah, Doin' great!"

"That's it. I'm walking to the hospital, it's only a block, Brad, hurry up." Magenta got out of the car, Brad close behind, Sonja frowned and drove away.

"Are you actually gonna walk?"

"Hell no, I'll get a cab."

...

That night, Arlene and Aaron took the girls out for dinner and left Columbia, Brad, Magenta, Frank, Kimi and Sonny at home, bored. They were sitting in the living room when Sonny said,

"Who wants a snack? I'll make Jello!"

"I don't want food that you touched, _Son-Shine_." whined Brad.

"I ahgree." Magenta was laying in Brad's chest with her eyes glazed over, he stroked her hair and she moved closer as he covered her with a blanket. Sonny got up and ran into the guest bathroom which was where he slept, Kimi followed him. Frank and Columbia eventually left too, leaving Brad and Magenta alone together. Brad closed his eyes and fell asleep as Magenta did the same.

* * *

><p>Brad woke up covered in blood. Magenta was sitting bolt-upright with Kimi screaming.<p>

...

Magenta was ripped away from Brad at the hospital and rushed into Oncology. About an hour later, Olivia brought Brad to her room. She was laying in the bed, her eyes were open enough to show a thin cloud of tears and some blood was still running out of her mouth. Olivia pulled Brad aside,

"Brad, her condition is really bad."

"What? I don't-"

"She's had a few heart palpitations, she's in a lot of pain, and this could very well be it."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

"Excuse me?" Suddenly Cosmo and Nation burst loudly into the room, they had obviously stolen lab coats and had been running around the hospital whipping children with stethoscopes.

"YEE HAW, GIBLETS!" squealed Nation, "I THINK I GOT DA HERPES!"

"MEEE TOOO!"

"MAC, I WANNA DRIVE!"

"YOU WANNA DRIVE? OKEY-DOKEY! CLIM-B ABOARD SLUT-BUTTER!" Cosmo and Nation began to grind against the wall. Olivia turned green,

"GET OUT!" she barked, slapping Nation weakly on the back of her neck. The horny couple slid out into the hall, giggling. Olivia pulled Brad into the hall after them,

"You're not going to be able to bring her home if you want her to improve. We're going to have to do a lot of testing, probably more extensive treatments, I don't want her to get sick when we aren't there to administer the treatment she needs, Kimi is just a student nurse, we sent her home with y'all to administer simpler treatments and general care." Kimi suddenly poked her colourful kitty-cat head into the hall,

"Olivia, we need you." Olivia hurried away, Brad followed her to find Magenta lying on red-stained sheets, barely coherent. Frank carried her into her washroom, followed by Kimi, Brad and Olivia, Columbia lagged back a few inches and Sonny ran ahead. Frank sat her in the bathtub and ran water over her, washing the blood off. Kimi grabbed her pager off her shirt,

"ROOM 13-N, WE NEED DR MAJORS IMMEDIATELY! EMERGENCY, THANK YOU!" Kimi began to sob harder, Jonathan arrived in a matter of minutes and carried Magenta away.

* * *

><p>Brad, Columbia, Kimi, Frank and Sonny sat on the floor outside the ICU room where Magenta was being poked and prodded. Kimi was crying her eyes out, Columbia was leaning against the wall in tears and Brad, Frank and Sonny were silent. Kimi regained enough composure to finally say,<p>

"If Ms Magenta dies... I'll be fired, I really, really wanted to go to NYU-" Kimi was silenced by Frank slapping her across the face,

"DON'T YOU GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYONE ELSE BUT YOURSELF?"

"Frahnk, please-"

"SHUT UP, COLUMBIA! NOBODY ASKED YOU!"

"I didn't mean to sound selfish-" Frank slapped her again,

"You stupid little bitch. You little selfish bitch. When the fuck are you going to GROW UP?" Frank slapped Kimi once more, Sonny punched him in the bicep and crawled over to where Kimi was sitting and hugged her. Olivia poked her head out of the door,

"She can see you guys now." she said, smiling weakly. Brad stood up and followed the others into the room. Magenta was laying back against an inclined bed, her head was tilted and her eyes were dilated. There was a cup over her mouth and nose, it was obviously oxygen. Brad sat down on the edge of her bed, Columbia lay across Magenta's stomach,

"Mmm, C-l-bia-" Magenta's oxygen made her sound like a cystic fibrosis patient, her laboured breaths raised the sheets that had been stained with her coral coloured blood. Columbia sat up and Sonny came and sat on her lap,

"Magenta, are you sick?" Sonny whispered, his voice was cracking with tears, Columbia dried his eyes with her jacket sleeve,

"S-nny, d-n't cry..." Kimi came over and began to hug Sonny like she always did and Frank stroked Magenta's hair. Brad was at a loss for words.

* * *

><p>Olivia kicked out everybody but Kimi when a test had to be run, they proceeded to the cafeteria, they sat down at a table,<p>

"D y'ahll lihke pihzza?" inquired Columbia, grabbing a few slices that looked like plastic toy food from Target.

"I don't know if a human being can fucking digest that." Brad whined into his hand, picking heavily used bubblegum off the underside of the table.

"How long do you think she has?" Frank whispered shakily, Columbia replied,

"I gihve it a few mohnths, sihnce iht's leukehmia." Columbia held her head in her hands, Brad could tell from across the table that she was crying.

"I'm going up to see her." said Brad, pushing his untouched pizza toward Columbia and heading for the elevator.

...

Magenta was sleeping, still under her thin hospital blanket and the quilt Columbia had made for her a few months earlier, her soft curls were matted from sleep and her lips were almost blue. Brad pulled up a chair and gently held her hand, it was cold and thin, almost nonexistent. Her eyes fluttered open, Brad smiled as she began to recognize him,

"Brad, hi-" Magenta cut herself off as she coughed loudly, spraying a few droplets of blood into her oxygen mask, Brad lay his face on her shoulder as she ran another cold hand over his back,

"I'm sorry I had to leave, Olivia kicked me out."

"Th-ts okay. I un-rstand." Magenta breathed, choking on blood every few syllables of speech. The two were interrupted by two women shrieking at each other in the hallway,

"AH! NATION, YOU STUPID BITCH!"

"YOU'RE A BITCH!" There was a crashing noise and Nation and Sonja popped inside.

"OH, BABY!" Sonja screamed, shoving Brad to the floor and throwing herself on her daughter, Nation hung back, pulling apart a cigarette.

"Can you please leave?" Brad whined.

"Absolutely." said Nation, "Sonja, hurry up."

* * *

><p>Frank and Brad set up sleeping bags in Magenta's hospital room because they thought she would need the company between tests, treatments and everything else she might need to throw her back into remission, but for now, Brad was emotionally wrecked. Magenta was tired and weak. Frank was dying of boredom. The three of them were sitting quietly in Magenta's room. Magenta closed her eyes and a few fresh tears ran onto her pillow, Frank wiped them away and Brad caressed her hair, gently soothing her, Brad broke the silence,<p>

"I think I have to go to the bathroom." He slammed the door, Frank and Magenta could hear him shouting 'OH MY FUCKING GOD!' on the other side of the door,

"You didn't cause this." Frank whispered, "His problems aren't your fault."

"If I wasn't sick, we wouldn't be together."

"What?"

"He asked me out because he recognized me through the window in the door."

"And the two of you are beautiful together. Magenta, you can get through this. I really want to help you, I think you're amazing and I love you, and I don't want you to die! You can't!" Frank collapsed in tears across Magenta's bed.

"I'm not going to. I've decided not too." Frank sat her up in bed and held her tight,

"You're such a sweet liar. You spare everyone the painful truth." Magenta lay back down, "Now try to go to sleep, you need to rest."

The next morning Brad was drunk, not really a surprise, Frank found a half empty bottle of wine in one of his shoes and Magenta had begun to look more and more tired with each second that passed and was becoming clingier as the cancer progressed. On top of everything, her medication was making her almost narcoleptic. For the moment, though, Frank was rubbing her shoulders, carefully avoiding the radiation burns, the graft-versus-host rash **(a graft-versus-host disease is what some people can get from blood transfusion, it gives one a rash and sometimes scarring.)** and the bruises that would form, an obvious symptom of leukemia. Magenta shuddered and leaned back into Frank's contact, almost sure she was going to faint again, he lay her down on her pillows gently, but held an emesis basin under her mouth as some blood began to surface. Magenta began to cough violently, allowing more blood to spurt out. She fell back against her pillows,

"Get Brad."

"Uh-"

"Get Brad. Please." Frank stood up and opened the door to where Brad was waiting in the hall, trying desperately to sober up.

"It's Magenta." Brad perked up,

"What?"

"Magenta, she told me to get you." Brad jumped up and stumbled into her room. Frank felt himself lurching forward so as to shield Magenta's fragile body from Brad's violent drunkenness.

"What is it?"

"I don't feel good." Magenta whined, burying her face in Brad's shoulder. He lifted her out of bed and her IV began to beep loudly and boisterously and he lowered her back down.

* * *

><p><strong>(FLASHBACK TIME! Flashbacks will pop up in almost every chapter from now on!)<strong>

Sonja sat outside Magenta's room, Frank and that stupid asshole were with her. Sonja remembered when she was first diagnosed.

_April 1991. Sonja's POV._

_The kids are sitting in the bathtub, it's Magenta's second birthday. Rayne turned four last week. _**(Yep, Randall, Rayne, I have a baby names app on my iPod!)**

_"Mommy," says Rayne, "Do we have special scissors to cut meat?"_

_"No."_

_"Mommy?" She looks up at me with her round green eyes._

_"Yes, Princess,"_

_"What's this thing?" she points to a huge-ass bruise on her leg, Rayne pokes it, "OUCH! RAYNE!"_

_"Sorry." Magenta smacks him, Jerome lifts her out of the tub and wraps her in a light blue towel, Rayne crawls out and grabs a bar of soap, "Mommy, does soap come off the soap tree shaped like this?"_

_"Soap doesn't grow on trees." Rayne runs into his room and Magenta runs into her's, Jerome and I are left in the bathroom..._

* * *

><p><em>June 2002.<em>

_I have to take Magenta to the hospital. She's protesting loudly enough to loosen fillings,_

_"I'm not going to the hospital! I'm not getting chemotherapy again, and you can't make me go!"_

_"Magenta Lucine Alvarado, you are being a little bitch, get into the car." Magenta's eyes start watering and she runs back inside.__ Rayne comes out of his room, _

_"Is she having another tantrum?"_

_"Rayne Innis Alvarado-"_

_"Middle name? Again?"_

_"Can you deal with her?"_

_"Don't wanna, thanks for offering, though."_

_"I don't have time for you to be a brat, I need to get your sister to the hospital." A loud whine of 'YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO!' resonates from her room. Jerome is on another business trip, back home, in Transsexual, our family had to move to Earth with the Royal Family. And moving to Earth automatically meant, by some stretch of the imagination, my little girl getting sicker. She was diagnosed when she was two with Acute Mylogenous Leukemia and her brother has been less than helpful. _

_..._

_September 2008._

_Rayne and Magenta are going to go work for Frank, the prince, they're allowed to come home sometimes, so Jerome and I are going to appreciate seeing them a lot more, I drive them to the castle on the outskirts of the town we live in..._

Magenta's POV,

_Rayne wakes me up in the middle of the night. He has a gaping hole in his hair and he's seriously fucked his face up._

_"How do I look, you stupid disgusting immature mooching whore?" Rayne always had rude nicknames for me,_

_"Repugnant. Are you really that masochistic? And what happened to your hair? You look like me in 4th grade when I had chemotherapy." _

_"Yeah, I used your makeup."_

_"YOU WHAT?" Rayne snickers and leaves the room._

Columbia's POV. **(Columbia doesn't see herself as having a weird accent so even her speech is spelled normally in this flashback!)**

_I go on into Magenta's room. I think that's her name... I started dating Frank last week, now I live with him, I moved in today, I'm gonna go make a friend now! I go into a room that looks like it belongs to girl and I find a girl with real pretty hair in the bed next to the window. She's asleep, I go over and shake her,_

_"HI! ARE YOU MAGENTA?" She looks up,_

_"Who the hell are you?"_

_"Hi! I'm Columbia!"_

_"Great, I'm Magenta, I'm also trying to sleep, bye!" I get up and leave._

_A few hours later I see Magenta again, she's in her washroom, self-medicating,_

_"OH MY GOD! ARE THOSE PILLS DRUGS?" She turns around and it looks like she has less hair than before,_

_"Go away."_

* * *

><p><em>I wake Magenta up the next morning, I start to shake her,<em>

_"Rise and Shine, sleepyhead! It's already 4:30!"_

_"No, Columbia,"_

_"Yes, Columbia. Now get up, I'll make you some pancakes."_

_"Stop. The treatment's making me tired."_

_"Treatment?"_

_"Chemoth-"_

_"Were you about to say-"_

_"No! Now go away." She rolls over and I see the bruise on her back. It's lower down, and really big. I run into Frank's room, he's asleep, too._

_"Frank, what did you do to her?"_

_"Hm- What? Who?"_

_"Magenta has a HEE-UGE bruise."_

_"I didn't touch her. You have to know Magenta to know where she got that bruise. It's long story, wow, how early is it?"_

_"Spill it, sister..." Frank sits up,_

_"Well, when Magenta was two, she got diagnosed with blood cancer-"_

_"Is that why she was taking pills?"_

_"Yeah, it makes you bruise like crazy. Anyway, she doesn't like to tell people, so don't tell her I told you, okay?"_

* * *

><p><em>I find Magenta in the third floor bathroom, she's sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall with blood all over her. I sit down next to her and start to dab the blood off her face,<em>

_"What happened?"_

_"Don't you have someplace you have to be?"_

_"No-place. Frank told me you're sick."_

_"Are you serious?" I nod and help her stand up,_

_"Why didn't you want me to know?" I start to soak up the blood with her apron,_

_"If you've ever had any kind of disease like this-"_

_"I had Hepatitis A, when I was ten."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"No, it's fine, you were saying?"_

_"People always treat you different-" I start to laugh, "What the hell is so damn funny?"_

_"Sorry, you just sounded so much like Miley Cyrus just there. What else do I not know about you?"_

_"I can draw bunnies." I open my mouth but I get cut off by Rayne walking right in, he's hot again and the hole in his hair is gone, Frank calls him Riffraff, we had some real hot sex once. I still have a kick-ass bruise._

_"Genta?"_

_"Rayne, what is it?" Rayne comes over and takes Magenta from me,_

_"Hey!"_

_"This isn't your problem, Columbia, it'd be great it you stayed out of it." Okay, mister, it's kind of a good idea to be nice to the girls you violently screw in the middle of a cold dark night after a big-ass bottle of Sprite and an eight-foot churro that I ate all by myself without any help, thank you very much, you dumb blonde who's named after the kind of precipitation that nobody likes! I follow them down the hall and hear Rayne yelling at Magenta,_

_"WHY DID YOU TELL HER? SHE CAN'T KEEP A SECRET, **AND**, I THINK SHE GAVE ME THE CLAP!"_

_"I think she's nice. She-" Magenta goes quiet and I can hear Rayne whispering something._

* * *

><p><em>Sonja's POV. <em>

_The phone rings. I let it ring a few times until I pick up, I hear a shrill voice on the other end,_

_"Ahre you a Sohn- Jah Alvahrado?"_

_"It's pronounced like Sawn-Ya."_

_"Okahy, anywahy, I'm Cohluhmbia, I lihve at the cahstle with Rahyne and Magehnta, um, uh, Rahyne took Magehnta to the hohspital a few mihnutes ago, she's sihck."_

_"Which hospital?"_

_"Uh, Dehnton Puhblic Hohspital, neahr the commuhnity college."_

_"Oh, alright, I'll be there."_

_"Thahnks mohm."_

_"Never call me that again." I hang up a run outside to get a cab._

* * *

><p><em>When I get to the hospital, a girl who I'm guessing is Columbia from the phone runs over to me,<em>

_"SOHN-JAH!"_

_"How did you know it was me?"_

_"You loohk just lihke Rahyne, so blohnde!"_

_"Don't touch my hair, where is she?"_

_"On the thihrd floohr, Rahyne's with her."_

_"No, I mean which room."_

_"Roohm, um, 3-k."_

_"I wanna see her."_

_"I'll take you up!" Columbia grabs my hand and pulls me upstairs._

_"Whehre's your husbahnd?"_

_"Alaska." I lie, I'm not about to tell this little blabbermouth bitch all about Transsexual,_

_"AH! I LAHVE ALAHSKA! FAVE STAHTE EVAH!" Columbia opens the door to Magenta's room, I see Rayne sitting on her bed, _

_"Is she asleep?" I break the silence, Rayne looks up and nods, I go over to her bed, she's asleep with her hands covering her face, Columbia smiles,_

_"Mihss Sawn-jah? She loohks reahl prehtty, lihke you."_

_"I can't tell if that's a compliment."_

_"It's a compliment, I was a little confused at first, too." says Rayne, Magenta opens her eyes,_

_"Oh shit." she whines, sitting up._

_"Magenta! Watch your language!" I cut in, I'm such an effin' mother... _

_..._

It never took much for Brad to choke on nothing. In fact, it was a frequent occurrence, it happened at the worst times, especially the one time it happened when he and Magenta were covertly fucking in the pool that the hospital workers had so stupidly installed in 1987 when a resident complained about having to practice her lengths, how could they believe that? The chick was 83 years old. Anyway, he began to choke randomly before a radiotherapy session,

"Brad?" Magenta inquired, "What is it? Are you okay? I told you, you have to chew your food."

"I thihnk he's chohking." Columbia stated,

"No shit, Sherlock." said Frank across the room, in his distracted state, he bit off the tip of his lipstick. Sonny spread himself out on the floor,

"Aaaahhhh, my buns hurt like a muffin!"

...

_December 2004._

_Magenta sat in her hospital room watching _A Christmas Story _on the TV in her room when the therapist came in. She looked about 22, with black hair with a red streak._

_"Are you Magenta Alvarado?"_

_"Depends who's asking."_

_"I'll take that as a yes. Your mother called me."_

_"She thinks I need help?"_

_"Uh, I guess? So tell me about yourself."_

_"Bobbleheads freak me out."_

_"That's... interesting..."_

_"I mean, what the hell is so amusing about bouncing heads? Nothing, right?"_

_"I agree, anything else? Any siblings?"_

_"One, he's obnoxious."_

_"Very descriptive. Anything else?"_

_"My favourite bedtime story when I was little was one I made up myself about cats, I knew the ending so I always used to blurt it out and piss my mom off."_

_"And how did that story go?"_

_"It was pretty much a bunch of cats getting in these random fights until a bunny that lived across the street told them to shut up because it pissed her off. So they eventually stopped."_

_"How old where you when you wrote this story?"_

_"I think maybe two, two-and-a-half..."_

_"Before of after you were diagnosed?"_

_"I was diagnosed two days after my second birthday, so after."_

_"Where you hospitalized a lot when you were young?"_

_"Not really, I think maybe a few times, it got worse in high school."_

_"Are you going to be spending Christmas here?"_

_"No... I'm going home. Why do you want to know all this stuff?"_

* * *

><p>Columbia saw Kimi come out of the girls's room. She was sobbing harder than the first time Sonny got a paper cut.<p>

"Whaht is iht? Whaht hahpenned?"

"I told Arlene about my sexuality. And she said I'm not allowed to babysit her girls anymore."

"Why wouhld she say thaht?"

"I guess she thinks I'd, like, molest them or something."

"Kihmi, you may be ohbnoxiouhsly louhd and ohveremohtional and a lihl' crahzy in your drehssin', buht you're a nihce gihrl, you'd nehver molehst anyone!"

...

_April 2008. Columbia's POV._

_I see Magenta run upstairs. She's probably PMS-ing again. I found a tampon in the sink of her bathroom, of course she flatly denied everything. I run after her,_

_"Gen? You okay up there?" I started calling her Gen last week to piss her off, I hear a door slam, I run down the hall and pound on her door, "GEN! LET ME IN!" The door swings open, she has makeup all over her face like she's been crying, "Gen, honey, are you sick?"_

_"Leave me alone..."_

_"No, tell me."_

_"I don't want to talk to anyone-"_

_"WHAT HAPPENED?"_

_"Eddie-"_

_"What about him?"_

_"Fucking bastard-"_

_"He's not a bastard!"_

_"Yes he is! DON'T YOU GET IT? HE'S A SICK-ASS BASTARD!"_

_"NO!" She takes off her dress, "STOP!" There's a bunch of bruises and blood on the inside of her thighs in a bad place,_

_"THERE! DOES THAT CONVINCE YOU?"_

_"Eddie would never do that!"_

_"He did! Bitch, you're so lucky I'm not pregnant! Thank God for pills! I'm lucky if I don't wake up tomorrow with crabs!"_

_"Don't cry, please-" I start to hug her but she jumps back and slaps me real hard, my face starts to turn numb and her ring made my cheek bleed, I can feel the tears starting to come,_

_"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! YOU'RE LUCKY I EVEN TRY TO BE NICE TO YOU! YOU MAKE IT SO HARD! WHEN WILL YOU REALIZE I'M ONLY TRYING TO HELP?" I run down the hall,_

_"Columbia, I didn't mean it that way-"_

_"SCREW YOURSELF!" I think she's crying hard, let the bitch suffer, I don't even care anymore. I don't care about her problem, I don't care about her PMS, I don't care about how she feels about Eddie, I hope she dies, I'll steal her medication, it'll be that easy. Stupid little whore, I slam into Frank as he's turning a corner,_

_"Collie, you okay? You're bleeding!"_

_"Uh, yeah, I tripped... and my earring went into my cheek."_

_"What'd Magenta do to you?"_

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Bullshit, I heard y'all arguing, that's why I came looking for you."_

_"She said Eddie did her, you know, did, like, yeah."_

_"They were up all last night going at it, she came into my room and tried to make me feel sorry for her."_

_"Is she just PMS-ing?"_

_"It's her medication, it makes her depressed, that's why I told you to be careful around her, she'll snap."_

_"When will she be okay?"_

_"I think she just needs to rest, let me talk to her." Frank walks down the hall to Magenta's room, knocks on the door,_

_"Magenta, babe, it's me, lemme in."_

_"Please, no." Frank opens her door and jumps back with his hand over his mouth, then goes back inside and shuts the door, I start to knock,_

_"Are y'all okay in there?" The door swings open and Frank standing in the middle of the room holding Magenta and wiping her mouth._

_"We're fine, Columbia." Frank starts to carry her out of the room, "I'm bringing her to the living room, can you put some pillows on the couch for her? A blanket, too." I nod and grab some from her bed and follow them downstairs,_

_Frank lays Magenta on the couch with the pillows and my quilt, while I'm sitting with her, she looks up and whispers, quietly and real soft,_

_"I'm sorry."_

_..._

Magenta began to sob harder as she grabbed for a pen in her purse, snatching a piece of paper, she began to write, tears falling to the paper and blurring the ink,

_This is my last will and testament..._

Her stomach churned with blood,

_I, Magenta Lucine Alvarado, a resident of New York City, hereby make this will and revoke all prior wills and codicils._

_I was born on April 30th 1989 in Kurkova City, Likia, Transsexual._

_I will probably marry Bradley Holden Majors, who I will refer to as my fiancee, we hope to be married before I die._

_I have no children, but I hope to soon give birth to two beautiful daughters whom I hope to name Sasha Irenia and Connie Shona Majors-_

"Magenta? What are you writing?" She looked up to see Brad standing behind her,

"I'm just-" Brad picked up the paper, when he saw it, a few tears materialized and clouded his vision,

"Why would you do this?"

"I was making sure-" She was lifted from her seat as Brad grabbed her shoulders, shaking her,

"YOU ARE NOT DYING!"

"Brad, you're hurting me-"

"YOU CAN'T BE DYING, I WON'T LET YOU DIE!" Brad pulled Magenta closer and sobbed into the top of her head, eventually releasing her, staring into her eyes and seeing the same tears as his.

* * *

><p><em>May 1999, third person.<em>

_"RAYNE, GET DOWN HERE!" Sonja screamed to her twelve-year-old son, eliciting an obnoxious whine, of 'HUSH UP, MA!' and a series of dull thumps sounding down the stairs,_

_"Towels, young man." Sonja snapped, pointing to a pile of towels on the floor that Rayne had been supposed to carry upstairs to the linen closet._

_"What if I don't wanna?"_

_"Then I don't care, get moving." _

_After a few minutes of procrastinating Rayne dragged himself upstairs, while whining and moaning and exaggeratedly attempting 'desperately' to see over the mountain of clean linens. When he heard his sister crying._

_"OKAY, RAYNE AND MAGENTA, I HAVE TO GO GET WHIPPED CREAM, I'LL BE BACK IN A FEW MINUTES! AND RAYNE, YOU BETTER STACK THOSE TOWELS PROPERLY!" Sonja slammed the door and left. As soon as she was off the front porch, Rayne threw the towels down the stairs and burst into his sister's room, she was sitting next to her bed, covered in blood._

_"Genta? What happened? Did you cut yourself?" Rayne had become familiar with Magenta's problem, how she bled more heavily than she and Rayne's friends, Sonja's speech, 'Don't play too hard with your sister, she'll start to bleed again'. Magenta coughed up a handful of blood and wordlessly held out her hands, she was ten, and took every chance she could to give her brother the silent treatment. Rayne wiped the blood off her hands, barely noticing that she had obviously passed out seconds before._

_..._

_Sonja pulled into the Alvarado driveway to see an ambulance. Her son ran toward her with tears in his wide blue eyes,_

_"MA, I HAD TO CALL THE AMBULANCE, I FOUND GENTA IN HER ROOM, AND THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE-" Rayne slammed into Sonja and squeezed his arms around her waist, the first time he had hugged her in three months, since Magenta's last episode. Sonja ran to the ambulance in time to see two women laying her bloody daughter into the ambulance._

_"Are you the mother?"_

_"Yes, um, Sonja Alvarado."_

_"How old is your son?"_

_"He's 12, is that a problem?"_

_"No, he was the one that called us."_

_"I'm sorry, I had to get whipped cream and Rayne had chores to do and Magenta hates the grocery store." _

* * *

><p><em>Sonja drove the kids home from the hospital, Magenta went to bed straight away, although it was only 5:30 pm, finally Sonja broke the silence as she and her son sat in the living room in silence,<em>

_"So, you called 911?"_

_"It was the responsible thing to do."_

_"Responsible?"_

* * *

><p>Magenta had gotten sick. Kimi said it was just a flu virus, but due to her newfound immunodeficiency, even a cold could be dangerous. And that was exactly why Brad was worrying so much. And for the moment, Brad was pacing outside the room where Kimi was sitting with her. Kimi finally opened the door,<p>

"She has a fever of 107-"

"You're joking."

"Mm-mm, I'm not. I felt her forehead, she was burning up. I filled the bathroom up with steam, she's just in there now, you can go see her..."

"This isn't a hospital, I can see her whenever I want." Brad shoved past Kimi and entered the bathroom, Magenta was sitting on the lip of the bathtub in her underwear, it would have been sexy if she wasn't so sick. She looked up and smiled, her hair sticking to her face and her eyes and nose streaming.

"You don't want to be in here." she whispered, "I could be contagious." She blew her nose, "And the steam in here might wreck your clothes." Magenta put an arm around Kimi's shoulders for support as she stood up, Kimi lay her on the bed in the guest room and turned on an oscillating fan, pointing it straight at the bed,

"Don't cover yourself up, you'll overheat." Kimi said in her corny optimistic voice. Brad sat next to Magenta and took her hand, she shuddered. Brad's hand was obviously cold by comparison. Kimi spread herself across the bed and stroked Magenta's hair, emitting soft, high pitched strangled noises, then it occurred to Brad that she was feebly attempting to sing Fix You by Coldplay.

_Lights will guide you home,_

_and ignite your bones,_

_and I will try..._

_To fix you._


	10. Bitches never get past nursing school

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 8. Bitches Never Get Past Nursing School and the Road Trip.**

* * *

><p>Magenta's flu virus lasted for the next few weeks. It was early March, and the cold white snow was about to start slowly melting. Kimi was getting squirrelly. Brad woke up that morning to find Magenta gone. Soft voices were coming from the washroom, almost drowned out by the sound of Janice and Tina watching Saturday Morning Cartoons. Brad tripped into the washroom to find Kimi standing outside the shower as the water ran, Brad could make out what looked like Magenta's delicate body blurred by steam on the glass. Kimi saw Brad in the doorway and immediately looked down,<p>

"Brad, I didn't see you, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir. Is everything okay?"

"She was sweating real heavy last night." Magenta opened the shower door and Kimi handed her a towel. She stepped out and leaned into Brad's contact, her wet hair soaking through the T-shirt he was wearing. Kimi inched out the door,

"I'll leave you guys, bye..." Magenta dropped the towel covering her and let Brad get an eyeful. She began to get dressed and the two departed to the living room.

* * *

><p>Olivia came to the house the next day and pulled Brad into the bedroom.<p>

"We have to talk."

"About your unfortunate drinking problem?"

"No, Magenta. I'm worried. She got sick recently, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I told you she metastasized, right? That could have been why she got sick, and you are aware that her BMI is dangerously low. Her ribs and spine are clearly visible through her skin and that can be extremely bad."

"BMI?"

"Body mass index. She has a lower BMI than some anorexics."

"We can get it back up, right?"

"Perhaps, I'll put her on food supplements and if we don't see an improvement that could be a huge problem." Brad stood up and left the room, sitting next to Magenta on the living room couch, Olivia left without another word.

...

...

Magenta's fever got worse over the next few hours. It escalated from 102 to 105 to 107, when the temperature reached 107, she began to slowly lose consciousness. Brad's first hint was Arlene's shattering scream,

"COLUMBIA, GET IN HERE!"

"I'hm cohmihng..." Columbia dragged herself into the guest room, only to run back out, pulling Magenta behind her by the hand, Arlene close behind,

"You have to take her to a _hospital__. _NOW!" Arlene capitulated. Brad grabbed Magenta around her waist and pulled her into the car, Columbia and Kimi running close behind.

.!.!.!.!

Magenta was torn from Brad's grip after a few seizures, and about two hours passed before Olivia came out of the ICU and broke the news,

"We've got her on Life Support. We believe it's your decision."

"Decision?"

"You have two choices, one choice, you can have us take her off the Life Support and let her slip away painlessly, or two, we can keep her on Life Support until her fever goes down and she wakes up, but she'll have to stay in hospital for at least two more weeks. Kimiko, if you'll follow me. Brad and... other woman, y'all can decide now." Kimi and Olivia departed and Columbia turned to Brad,

"Whatehver you decihde is fihne."

"I want her alive. I don't care if it's a risky procedure, I can't let Magenta die, I promised her I wouldn't let her die."

"I juhst dohn't wahnt her to be sihck anymore. Whaht if she wahnts to die?"

"She told me she didn't want to. I promised to keep her alive. If there's a possibility that Olivia can save her I want to take that chance while I can."

"I guehss you know whaht's behst for her." Olivia came outside,

"What's the verdict? Have you reached a decision?"

"We've decided to go with Life Support."

"Good choice. You can come with me." The trio proceeded into the tiny dark room, Magenta was comatose with Kimi standing over her.

"How mahny tuhbes is thaht?" Columbia pointed to the copious IVs and other things that were sticking in Magenta's flesh. Brad slapped her and she quieted down.

...

When Magenta woke up, Brad was holding her in his lap on the window seat of her room. She still had a fever but her temperature had gone down drastically. Brad's eyes had begun to close but they shot open the second he noticed Magenta opening hers.

"You're up." He whispered,

"What happened?"

"You had a high fever, you almost died, but Olivia kept you on Live Support."

"I was that close?" Magenta asked, gradually looking into Brad's eyes, kissing his mouth lightly, "That was for keeping your promise and not letting me die."

* * *

><p>Brad had nothing whatsoever to do in Magenta's hospital room. Olivia prohibited drinking and Magenta was usually asleep or too weak to be coherent. So for the moment, he was sitting outside Magenta's room while she was resting, inhaling her nail polish. He could hardly see anything, everything was so loud, his breathing was seriously screwed. Kimi was fucking around with some kind of catheter, central venous bullshit like that, Brad didn't remember... headache... he stood up and opened the door to Magenta's room, Kimi was sitting next to her, holding onto some kind of machinery that she was putting into Magenta's flesh.<p>

"Brad, sir, are you okay, you smell like formaldehyde..."

"I've been smelling nail polish."

"You better sober up, she'll be waking up soon and the last thing she needs is to have to deal with your issues." Kimi snapped. She seemed less shy and less morbidly chipper then usual.

"You seem pissed."

"Do I?"

"What is it?" Kimi was silent until she finally said,

"Ms Magenta's getting much worse. The high fever she had was probably leading into something, but I think her leukemia is going to possibly overtake her soon. This is more than any 22-year old woman should have to deal with, I know she loves you a lot and she doesn't want to disappoint you, but, she's too sick." Magenta opened her eyes, Brad helped her sit up,

"Hi Kimi,"

"I replaced your central line-" Kimi was cut off by Olivia bursting into the room, she was sweating,

"Majors, I need to see you." Brad stood up and followed Olivia down the hallway to a room with glass walls that showed the small park close by where a girl about Sonny and Kimi's age and two girls who were about pre-school age walked a little dog, Olivia's name was written on the door, her desk and bookshelves were bathed in yellow sunlight, Brad suddenly remembered how early in the morning it was.

"You can have a seat right there." Olivia breathed, she looked both stressed and dejected. Columbia was sitting in the chair next to the one in which Olivia had told Brad to sit, next to her where Sonja, Jerome, Sonny and Frank. It would have been intimidating if everyone hadn't been crying. Brad sat down, Olivia said in a shaky voice,

"I suppose you know why I brought y'all here."

"I don't." said Brad, "Those better be tears of joy, Sonny."

"They aren't." said Olivia, it took Brad a while to notice that she was crying too. "This may have escaped your mind, Brad, but it's become apparent that Magenta is really very sick."

"I knew that before, since when is it a surprise?"

"She's not going to make it." said Frank, "They're putting her on arsenic therapy so she'll have more time, maybe even be able to have her birthday this year."

"Arsenic?" said Brad, "But that's poison... How's that going to get rid of the cancer?"

"Arsenic's not a cure." said Frank again, "It just postpones what's coming."

"Can't you help her at all? She's 22, we aren't even married yet, she doesn't have any siblings-" Brad was cut off by a voice in the doorway,

"Yes, but she has a niece." Brad looked at the source of the voice, a short woman with wide eyes, light brown hair, a bun in her oven and holding the hand of a little blonde girl was standing in the doorway with a ripped man who looked familiar. The woman walked into the room, "Hi, I'm Janet Weiss, this is my husband, Rocky, and my daughter Rayna." Frank stood up, smiling,

"Rocky?"

"Hi, Frank." said the creation,

"Wait, wait, wait..." Brad repeated, "Rocky isn't even a real person, he can't reproduce."

"Brad, darling." Janet responded, "I said niece, didn't I?" Janet brought her daughter in front of her, "Rayna. She just turned two today."

"OH GOHSH!" Columbia squealed, "You an' Rahyne?"

"Got it." Janet smirked and stroked her daughter's icy blonde hair, Rayna had Janet's eyes. "Rayna knows her aunt is dying, and she would like to do what she can to help."

"I'm very sorry, Mrs Weiss," said Olivia, "But Magenta is in critical condition, and I don't want to take any kind of blood or bone marrow from a 2-year old. Magenta's illness has become incurable and we just have to let it go unless we see any improvement." Janet frowned,

"Brad has my number. Call me if she improves." Janet, Rayna and Rocky left without another word.

* * *

><p>Brad found Magenta on the balcony of her room, a cigarette between two of her fingers, Brad wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, she flinched,<p>

"You shouldn't be smoking. You're sick."

"Doesn't matter." she said, never turning her head, "I know I'm dying. Sonny told me."

"That little prick." Brad whispered to himself, "Listen, baby, you're improving, and Olivia said if you improve, you'll be okay." Brad felt for the catheter in her breastbone, it was cold.

"Brad, I'm not improving, I know I won't be." Magenta lifted her blouse and showed a deep gash in her abdomen.

"Fuck, have you been cutting again?"

"I could improve that way. Maybe I'd bleed out all my leukemia. Or just get it over with and die." Magenta held up Brad's arm, it was covered in bruises and what looked like pin pricks "You've been shooting up, haven't you?"

"You don't understand, I need a distraction. This hospital is full of morphine." Magenta pressed her face into his chest, it took Brad a while to notice that she was sobbing, he put a hand on her back, "What is it?"

"I don't want to die." she whined, taking another drag on her cigarette, Brad kissed the top of her head,

"I know, I don't want you to either." Brad ground out her cigarette, "You need to go to sleep, rest will help you improve." Magenta lay down and Brad sat next to her, finally, she said,

"Brad, can I have some of your morphine?" Brad smiled and got a needle from a box Kimi kept around, filled it with the drug and injected it into Magenta's left wrist, she flinched, then her eyes softened, and she lay down and went to sleep. When Brad was sure she wasn't awake, he collapsed across her body in tears and continued to inject himself. The needle he had used on her still had little bit of her blood on it. Brad hoped it would give him leukemia, too.

* * *

><p>Magenta was still sleeping when Brad woke up. He still had the needle in his hands. Olivia opened the door and Brad tossed the needle into Magenta's purse.<p>

"Majors, you're such a slut." she declared as Kimi and Sonny walked in behind her, followed by Frank, Lucille and Columbia. Lucille's blonde hair was growing back after her multiple bouts of chemotherapy that had shot her into remission, she sat down next to the bed,

"Shit, how's she doin'?" Lucille asked, holding Magenta's hand, "Gawd, she still looks sick, what treatment is she on?"

"Arsenic therapy." said Sonny,

"Arsenic? Don't be silly, that's only for terminal patients..." Lucille's voice trailed off, "Oh, gosh, Brad, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be. It's for the best." Brad slurred, realizing slowly that he had probably shot too much morphine the night before. He got up off Magenta and leaned back, admiring her peaceful looking body from a distance. The veins in her chest looked like a road map, like her newly-placed central line was one of those 'You are here' landmarks and Brad thought of the leukemic cells, there was probably many in each vein, how could there be room? That's when Brad noticed the bruise. Leukemia patients bruise easily. Normal people bruise when they take morphine, her bruise was a lot more noticable than the ones Brad had. And Brad knew Olivia could easily kill him. She was a nurse. The bitch had a whole stash of medication on her side and Brad had been raised to never hit a girl. Brad almost had a heart attack when Olivia finally said,

"How was she last night?"

"FINE, thanks for asking." Brad snapped back,

"Wow. Hows that for wishful thinking." said Kimi, Brad growled dangerously and she hid behind Sonny, who giggled and looked down her blouse, Kimi put a hand down the front of his dress and they both started laughing their asses off.

"Has she woken up at all?" asked Olivia, Brad shrugged,

"I was asleep."

"Try not to do that anymore." Olivia replaced Magenta's IV, "Can't you stay awake? I thought you were the kind of guy that could just stay up for one night? For your sick girlfriend?"

"You can't guilt me into staying awake when I tried to. I was awake for most of the night anyway."

"Did she feel any better?"

"Her temperature went down a little bit."

"Hows her breathing?"

"Better." Magenta stirred and opened her eyes, looking down at her left arm,

"Oh, God, Brad... I have a huge bruise from all that morphine-" Her voice trailed off when she saw Olivia standing at her IV pole,

"Morphine?" interrogated Olivia expectantly, Brad decided to confess but Magenta covered for him,

"I was shooting up, I had headache," Magenta tightened her grip on Brad's hand. Maybe Olivia couldn't make him feel guilty, but Magenta's delicate hand holding his choked him up automatically. He shouldn't have let her cover for him. Brad squeezed her hand back.

* * *

><p>Magenta was trying hard to be hopeful. And it killed Brad to have to say that she would be fine. That everything was okay and she would make it. He couldn't lie anymore.<p>

Frank had never liked Brad, but watching him with Magenta was enough to at least make him feel rudimentarily sorry. When Magenta had lived at the castle, her leukemia had never been such a problem, this came as a shock.

_March 2008._

_Frank heard a loud slam coming from the top floor of the castle, most likely the lab, Frank began to drag his ass into the elevator only to hear a loud shattering noise and raucous female laughter, once in the lab, he found Rayne, Columbia and Magenta standing around a bunch of shattered glass and black smoke, _

_"What. Did you do?" Frank growled, Rayne and Columbia retreated backwards and hid in the freezer, leaving Magenta standing over the mess,_

_"Frank, I can explain..."_

_"Don't break things... when I'm not here." Magenta ran into the freezer, Frank grabbed her around the waist and dragged her out, tossing her onto the tile floor and dragging her to the elevator by her leg. As the lift began to descend, Frank sat on her,_

_"What the hell are you doing?" It was obvious Magenta was laughing her ass off. When the elevator reached the third floor, where Magenta's room was, the door opened and the two rolled out of the elevator, Magenta stood up and ran into her room, Frank followed her, ran into her bathroom, opened the cabinet, and dug around for what he was looking for, his hands brushed past eyeliner, lipstick, eyeshadow, whatever other kinds of makeup Magenta wore until he found the medication, grabbing the bottle of pills,_

_"Frank, give them to me."_

_"Not until you apologize." Frank held the pills over the toilet and opened the lid, "I'll flush 'em."_

_"You don't get it, Frank, I need those."_

_"You'll be okay." Frank lowered the pills closer to the bowl,_

_"I'll get Rayne."_

_"Get him and I drop them."_

_"You're terrible!" Frank removed one finger from his grip, Magenta began to hyperventilate, _

_"One down, three to go."_

_"I'M SORRY!" Magenta shrieked, Frank put her medication on the counter, and walked towards her, tackling her onto her bed as she screamed and laughed even harder, "ARE YOU INSANE?"_

_"IT'S THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR BEING A KLUTZ!" Frank poked Magenta hard in the middle of her rib cage, _

_"STOP, FRANK, YOU'RE KILLING ME!" Frank froze and fell back onto the mattress. The room was quiet until Magenta stood up and ran downstairs to make dinner. Frank lay on her black sheets and tried hard to pretend that those words hadn't cut so deep between them. He stared at the bottle of pills. What would have happened if he had flushed them? Maybe he really was killing her..._

* * *

><p><strong>Magenta's POV.<strong>

I never asked for this to happen. I don't know why anyone would. We all know I'm not going to improve, but still, it would be better to die than to have to keep feeling like this. I don't want Brad to have to get involved, I know he doesn't want to, but he's extremely well-intentioned and he wants what's best for me. (but at the same time wants to keep me alive.) But ever since Janet walked her bitchy ass back into our lives, not to mention my niece and Mr Artificial Intelligence (who isn't intelligent at all), Brad has become less and less focused on keeping our relationship intact. I need him back. I love him more than anyone and I don't want to die alone.

**Brad's POV.**

I can't put up with Magenta's condition anymore. We all know she's not going to improve and it kills me to watch her when she's in so much pain like this. I know she doesn't want to get me involved in it, she's so well-intentioned and I want what's best for her. And ever since Janet walked that slutty ass of hers back into our lives, not to mention her kid and that... animal... I don't want Magenta to think I don't want to keep our relationship intact because I'm fully aware that would make her worse, I need her back. I love her more than anyone and I don't want her to die.

**Third Person.**

Brad was sitting next to Magenta's bed when she came in. Her voice cut through the quiet din of Magenta's laboured breaths and the faint _beeeep beeeep _of her IV.

"Brad, stand up and come into the hall." Janet said as she emerged behind him, Brad stood up shakily, loosening his grip on Magenta's hand as he walked away, Janet led him into the hallway.

"What do you want?"

"Your standards really have lowered, huh, Brad?"

"That's a horrible thing to say."

"Let's face it, Brad, darling. You're a very very good person, you have a future, you're unbearably nice, maybe that's why you're with that bitch, you're smart, you have parents, and two brothers, and a stable background. What does Magenta have?"

"She has two loving, supportive, successful parents, who love her and want to help her, she has a niece, she's smart, beautiful, kind, she has a future. And she has me."

"Please, she has none of that. Now, I have a daughter, a husband, a home, a job, a stable background, an... ex-sister-in-law, now all I need is," Janet cast a glance just above Brad's thighs, "A distraction." she leaned onto him and he shoved her off, she hit the wall on the other side of the corridor,

"You're disgusting. Stay away from me." Brad left and re-entered Magenta's room, she was still asleep. Brad lay across her and let his tears flow onto her frail body, "I'm sorry." he sobbed, "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

* * *

><p>Magenta began to slowly improve, until Olivia decided she was well enough to leave the hospital, Magenta was still oblivious to Janet's contempt for her and had begun to bond with her niece. Some people would identify her as a sister, a girlfriend, a patient, a daughter, a friend, a maid, an aunt or a cousin but Brad knew Magenta to be the woman who defied medical expectations. On top of everything, even the thought of leukemia became a topic rarely mentioned in day-to-day conversation due to the drastic change.<p>

Brad was going to take her to his family's home in Vermont. His van could fit himself and Magenta in the front, Kimi, Sonny and Frank in the middle row and Jonathan and Columbia in the back. Kimi and Jonathan would be there if anything happened, the house was large enough to avoid Sonny and Frank, and Brad's parents were already there. After driving for two hours on the highway out of the six, the snow began to come pouring down and Sonny started winding up tighter than a seven-day clock.

"Are we there yet?"

"Not even close." said Brad from the driver's seat, Magenta reached back to where Sonny was sitting and held his hand,

"We have four more hours, honey, are you hungry?"

"Yeah... All this snow is making me want ice cream."

"Okay, there's a rest stop around here somewhere, Brad, what time is it?"

"Um, almost eight, we had a late start and it's been snowing." Bullshit, they had been driving since noon, but Sonny and Frank wanted to go shopping and had taken Kimi along. She had taken longer than she should have looking at manga in the comic book store. On reaching the rest stop, the snow had intensified,

"Where's the closest hotel?" said Jonathan nervously from the back,

"I don't know." Brad replied,

"We cahn cahr-cahmp!" Columbia suggested,

"Oh fuck." said Magenta and Brad together,

And that is how Brad's car came to be parked overnight in a rest stop under a blanket of snow.

* * *

><p>The next morning, everyone's eyes opened to a white curtain blocking the windows, Kimi was the first to scream, waking everyone else up, Brad almost had a heart attack, thinking Magenta was getting sick, Magenta sat up sharply, convinced someone had gotten shot, Columbia lost it for the same reasons as Brad, Frank was almost certain somebody had taken his eyeliner, Jonathan immediately felt for his sterling silver non-functional stethoscope Angie had given him when he graduated Med school, Sonny took the straw of his soda out of his mouth long enough to say 'Rise and shine, noobs' and close his eyes again.<p>

...

The drive was surprisingly nice, Magenta kept her strength up, Kimi was quiet enough, Sonny was less obnoxious than usual, the snow lightly flurried down and looked pretty. Eventually they reached the house, it was bigger than Brad remembered, Angie and Daniel were waiting outside, Brad helped Magenta out of the car and everyone proceeded inside.

* * *

><p>Kimi was sleeping perfectly fine when it happened, Brad came into her room and shook her awake, she could tell something was wrong, he lead her down the hall to the room he was sharing with Magenta, she was half out of bed with blood pooling out of her mouth, she was shivering with her head in Columbia's lap on the floor.<p>

The entire house was awake in seconds as Brad carried Magenta to the car, Columbia followed carrying blankets and Kimi sprinted after them through the house, Angie and Daniel quickly sprang into the hall,

"What's wrong with her?" Angie demanded to know,

"I don't know," Kimi shot back as Jonathan, Sonny and Frank came into the hall, "We're taking her to a hospital. Where's the nearest hospital?"

"Burlington, I would think. Who all is going with her?"

"I am." said Brad, "And Kimi, you should come too, and Columbia."

"Brad, I'm the doctor here!" Jonathan shouted,

"I've known her longest!" Frank yelled, Magenta held onto Brad's jacket as tight as possible,

"SHUT UP!" Brad snapped, "The only other people I want to come are Columbia and Kimi and that's final."

Kimi started the car,

"Okay, I got my license last year, I can drive you, just, get in, lay her across the two of you and wrap her in the blankets." Kimi started to drive away as Columbia was bundling Magenta up, it took Kimi long enough to get onto the highway to notice the cop behind them,

"Oh, shit." Brad growled to himself, Columbia hurriedly fastened her seatbelt and Kimi pulled the car over, the cop followed and walked over to the front window,

"Miss, are you aware that you've been speeding?"

"Um, no, sir."

"Lemme see your license." Kimi handed over her license, "Kimiko Tanaka, you're 17, you're from New York, don't you think you're a little far from home?"

"This is my car." said Brad from the backseat, "My girlfriend has leukemia, Kimi's her nurse, we're here on vacation. We really have to get to the hospital. Now. Can you please let us just go?"

"Fine, consider this a warning." the cop retreated back to his car and Kimi sped away equally as fast.

* * *

><p>The wait in the ER was torture. Columbia was inconsolable, Kimi was on the verge of insanity and Magenta was almost out blood by the time they were paid attention to, Brad sat with Kimi and Columbia in the waiting room when the nurse came out of the room,<p>

"Mr Majors?"

"Yes?"

"Magenta's doing better, she needed a blood transfusion because of the bleeding and the leukemia has gotten worse. You can come in and see her, if you'd like." The nurse walked into the small room with Brad, Columbia and Kimi behind her, Magenta was still enveloped in the blankets from the house, a terrified look in her teary eyes suggested that she knew she was getting worse, Columbia sat next to her,

"How ahre you feelihng?"

"Columbia, give her a second."

"Shuht uhp, Kihmi." Magenta moaned as Brad lay on the bed next to her, the other nurse came into the room,

"Brad, can you come with me please?" Brad stood up and followed the nurse out of the room,

"Did you know she was terminal?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well, Magenta does have acute mylogenous leukemia, and she also has acute promyelocytic. And it's really bad."

"Oh, shit..."

"APL life expectancy is measured in months, sometimes, if the leukemia has advanced really far, in weeks or days. I recommend taking her home tomorrow."

"There's really nothing you can do?"

* * *

><p><em>April 2008. Third Person.<em>

_Columbia came into Magenta's room screaming. Rayne was bitching at Frank on the top floor (even though it was still audible) and Columbia was still screaming. Magenta sat up in bed and Columbia leapt onto the mattress,_

_"I think I know what's happening." Magenta snapped, "You're high."_

_"No! Thehre's a hottie downstaihrs!"_

_"You're high. You're hallucinating. My brother is plain where we come from."_

_"EW! We hahd a one-nihght stahnd, thaht was iht! No, his nahme's Eddie! It's a sehxy nahme!"_

_"Fine." Magenta got out of bed and followed Columbia downstairs._

_1 hour later..._

_Magenta and Columbia stood in Frank's doorway, they were both half-dressed. And smiling,_

_"Is he my birthday present?" Magenta whispered, obviously turned on like a light-switch,_

_"Who? Oh, the new- yeah... No, he's mine."_

_"YOU AHSS!" Columbia squealed, "I NEED EDDIE AHCTION TOO, Y'KNOW!"_

_"Don't care, Skinny and Tall Snooki, I found him, finders keepers losers creepers."_

_"I AIHN'T NO CREEHPER!"_

_"Yeah, you are. Anyway, hands off, skanks." _

_"I'm keeping my hands on!" Magenta shouted, Eddie chose that moment to walk up behind her, "Oh... God...!"_

_"Hey ladies, Frank."_

_"Congratulations, Eddie, you figured out that I'm actually male."_

_..._

_The next day, Columbia was walking through the hallway past Magenta's room, when she opened the door with tears in her eyes..._

* * *

><p>That night, Brad, Kimi and Columbia brought Magenta home. At about 11:30, Brad got up and stood next to the bed, holding a hand in front of Magenta's face, expecting to feel a shallow stream of air, his hand was pushed backwards forcefully as she exhaled. Brad sat down. Wishing she knew.<p> 


	11. Might As Well

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 9. Might As Well.**

**A/N, recently, I learned that one of my friends feels that this reads like a hospital drama such as Grey's Anatomy, if y'all know what I mean... Also, in this chapter, I'll be introducing Magenta's aunts, Jayme and Elanna.**

* * *

><p>The name for Brad's feeling could be mostly described as... elated. The past week, Magenta's condition had slowly begun to improve, Olivia had informed him that this was a sign of remission, she did this with a defeated look on her face, perhaps because diagnosing death was what got her paid at the end of every week.<p>

It was Thursday, everyone had returned from Vermont and with late March came warm spring breezes and soft warm rain. Magenta was sitting on Arlene and Aaron's front porch with a thin black scarf draping over her shoulders when Brad came outside,

"I thought I'd find you out here." he said, sitting down and bringing an arm around her, "Feeling any better?" Magenta looked up,

"Well, knowing I'm not terminal feels pretty damn good."

"Well," Brad began, "Since we know you're not dying," Brad pulled a little box out of his pocket and knelt on the porch, "Magenta, baby, will you-"

"Marry you?" a gentle smile spread across Magenta's face. "How could I say no?" Without warning, Brad felt Magenta's light weight being thrown on him, he hugged her and didn't say anything. It had been so long since he had seen her happy like this, Brad wanted that little moment to last forever.

...

"THAT'S SPLENDID!" was Angie's first reaction, nobody had to even say anything. The little red diamond ring gave it away, "I'LL HAVE TO CALL THE CLUB!" Brad stared at his mother,

"Club?"

"The Blue Pines? The country club? For the wedding."

"Ma, that's tacky as hell."

"I hate to say it, but I agree, Ang." said Daniel, "Brad emailed me some pictures of the church, and, well, it looks like the kids are getting fixed there!"

"It's the church my family used to go to." Magenta added, "I was born there."

"In the church?"

"My mom has a patience defficiency problem that could borderline on creepy. Luckily there was a doctor there, but she kicked him in the face while she was having me. Then-" Magenta's voice trailed off, "never mind."

"No, tell us, what happened?"

"Give us a second." Brad stalled, pulling Magenta into their guest room, thank God Arlene, Aaron and the girls were at Central Park for Janice's birthday party, Kimi was out with Sonny and Columbia and Jonathan were at a baseball game. "Okay, you can't tell them about Transsexual, my mother would have you exorcised!"

"I'm sorry, it slipped out. The air is different on Earth, and since I was concieved... back home... my lungs had to be tested for any kind of problems. My dad had an asthma attack when he first came here, then again he was 7, but that's not the point, the point is, how the hell am I going to cover for that?"

"I don't actually have any idea... Let's just go back out there." Brad opened the bedroom door and whispered in her ear, "It's not my fault I'm engaged to a gorgeous Transylvanian."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Brad found her collapsed in a bloody heap on their bedroom floor. She had been in almost-remission. She hadn't been that sick in a while, and the absence of hemoptysis and everything else had lulled everyone into a false sense of security, the sudden regression back into illness would come as a jarring shock. Brad lifted Magenta off the now-stained carpet and lay her down on the bed, her eyes were half open,<p>

"What happened?" Brad questioned as Magenta wiped blood out of her eyes, a sharp inhalation was her reply, Brad began to strip off her bloody clothes, the front of her jeans and top were more drenched than anything, indicating the source of blood,

"Kimi, get in here." Brad snapped, Kimi ran into the room, upon seeing Magenta her breath caught,

"Where's she bleeding from?" Brad handed Kimi the clothes as the nurse sat next to Magenta and dabbed at the dried blood, Kimi stroked Magenta's wet hair and fought tears, finally saying, quietly, "Magenta, you have beautiful eyes."

...

That night, Brad woke to convulsive sobs next to him, Magenta was leaning against the headboard, crying into her hands,

"What is it?" Brad began to sit up and hold her, she lay her head on his shoulder, finally whispering,

"Why is there so much blood this time?" Brad let her cry until she lay back down and began to close her eyes, eventually, they both fell asleep.

When you're in a relationship with somebody who has a debilitating illness, you learn a few things, one, violent sex will make Magenta start to bleed. Two, subways are the worst places to get sick. And three, vomit and blood are two different things. Still Brad always failed to know when anything would happen. If there was any way he could help her. She was asleep when he found her. The tear tracks were still fresh. Lately, crying was the only way of overcoming insomnia. Magenta's tears resulted in rest, and Brad's tears resulted Magenta's and vice versa. But at least she was tired enough to sleep. Fuck, she never stayed awake for more than two hours at a time. If her pills didn't knock her out, it would be something else. While Brad stayed up all night watching her closely. In case she got sick. When caught, Brad would be begged to sleep, and Magenta's pleas would almost always be accompanied by tears, which made her tired, and once she was down, Brad would resume drinking and sitting in bed with Magenta asleep on his chest. She had less to cry about. She wasn't standing by and watching someone she loved slowly deteriorate at the hands of an extremely curable form of cancer. She didn't have to watch someone she loved fall in and out of comas through a haze of drunkenness. She wasn't being forced to keep her composure, she was allowed to break down. It was how she felt, probably, like death warmed up and was slowly cooling back down. Brad wished, with all his heart, that he could, in some way, be able to take her place.

Brad eventually fell asleep. He woke up an hour later. Magenta was still sleeping, her fingers weakly interlaced with his. Brad stood up and pulled the blankets higher up onto her shoulder.

"Sleep well, beautiful." he whispered gently as he kissed her forehead and left the room. Columbia and Arlene were already awake, they were each working on a tall cappuccino.

"She feel better?" Arlene asked through a mouthful of whatever it was she was eating. Brad shook his head and sat down,

"She's just sleeping right now, it might give her enough strength to make it through a day." Columbia frowned, Brad glanced toward the bedroom, Magenta was probably awake, he stood up and went to check on her. She was sleeping lightly, her deep breaths sounded labored, Brad gently caressed her face until her eyes fluttered open, this time, she didn't smile. Not even a little. Brad looked into her glazed eyes,

"Feel any better?" Magenta shook her head, a few tears spilled onto her pillow, Brad sat next to her as she slowly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Brad didn't sleep at all that night. Magenta woke up every few hours, coughing, Brad would wash the blood off of her and she would fall asleep again. Brad wished he could, too. Finally, the morning came, Brad got out of bed at about 3 am and sat in the kitchen. Magenta didn't wake up until 9. She finally came and joined him in the living room, her oscitant eyes seemed to have lost all emotion, or she was just tired. Words could not begin to describe the agonizing feeling that Brad experienced as those glassy, heartbroken, searching eyes stared deeply into his, as if looking for something. Looking for affection, on realizing this, Brad pulled Magenta into his contact, never to let go.<p>

* * *

><p>Kimi said it was just a side-effect and that Magenta was fine to stay at home. Brad eventually found her coughing blood into the sink, Kimi had her arms around Magenta's waist from behind and had her head on her back, tears were streaming down both of their faces. Kimi looked up, saw Brad, and flinched, she fell back from Magenta, who looked up and stood straight, wiping a bit of blood off her face. Brad pushed aside tears as she fell into Kimi's arms, Kimi glanced at Brad, he inched toward them and held Magenta by her shoulders,<p>

"You okay?" Brad slipped an arm around her waist and brought her back to bed, she sat down and dried a few tears on her wrist, her body was almost devoured by her clothes, she had lost so much weight that her t-shirt hung off her body disconcertingly, her skirt slipped down to her hips, her beautiful curves had been stripped away. Brad saw the disapproving glares in public, the hundreds of women who would whisper to their little girls, 'That woman has an eating disorder, you have to eat or you'll end up like her', or, 'Look at the anorexic bitch! She needs to beef up.', or even sometimes, 'Remember when we talked about eating disorders, class? That woman is a perfect example, she's obviously not comfortable with herself!'. Magenta, of course, was becoming less and less comfortable with herself with every comment, she frequently asked Brad, 'Do you think I'm hot?' until it seemed like she was begging for an answer, it killed Brad to listen to her, close to tears, asking these questions, with every saleswoman in every clothing store that said she had a 'tricky figure', another choked-up inquisition was spurred.

Brad turned his attention back to Magenta as she lay down, would it be like this when they were married? Would they have to drag Kimi on their honeymoon? They had planned to go to Tokyo, so Kimi would be right at home, but it wasn't right to have to have a nurse right there at all times. It wasn't normal.

"Brad?" said Kimi, "Are you okay? You're spacing out."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. I'm going to have a fuckin' long life." Brad aborted the room and found himself on the front lawn, his wrist was pressed to his forehead as the tears came pouring out, he barely noticed Magenta standing in the doorway and Kimi on the front porch steps,

"Brad, are you sure you're okay?" Kimi whispered, Magenta leaned against the doorpost and Kimi supported her into standing, Brad turned to face her, her green eyes pierced through the hair falling into her face, through the tears, through the pain and weakness and debilitation, her chapped red lips mouthed it perfectly,

Bleed.

* * *

><p><em>Magenta's POV. January 2002.<em>

_My mom is taking me and Rayne to the book store today. I saved some money because I need a new issue of Seventeen and something to read on the plane to Florida in March, and Rayne wants to hit on passing girls. We pull up in the parking lot of one of the only two malls in Denton, which consists of three buildings, one is a Bath and Body Works slash Buck's Bait Shop, the other is Victoria's Secret slash Dan's House of Sports Equipment (where athletic pedophiles go to have a stare at girls buying frilly panties) and the final store combination is Barnes & Noble and Plus-size Looks For Less, (a clothing store for fat old whores, Rayne threw up in there once. I did too, but I don't usually brag about it...) We make a stop in Bath and Body Works because I'm out of lip gloss, spend a sizable amount of money on pink frilly lacy things at Victoria's Secret and finally get around to the book store. Rayne disappears after a few girls going into the parenting section- oh shit... I go into the magazines and look through the rack for a February Seventeen, finding it, I go back to where Rayne is, staring at the pregnant girl's ass,_

_"Are you done here?"_

_"Wait, shut up, she's bending over."_

_"You're as bad as the guys in Dan's!"_

_"What are you bugging me for? Need help finding a book to read? Ages 9-12 section."_

_"That would've sounded good when I was 12."_

_"You ARE 12!"_

_"Yeah, but I'm mature 12."_

_"That's a load of bullshit." Rayne produces a book; _A Walk To Remember_. I read it last year in 2 hours at the library, liked it, and that was even when I was in relapse._

_"Thanks." So, on the plane to Florida, I will have no choice but to dive into the depressingly cloying and endlessly adorable exploits of Jamie and Landon. I sure hope I can find someone like Landon someday. _**(BRAD! SUBTLE FORESHADOWING!)**

* * *

><p>Sonny spread himself out on the floor of Arlene and Aaron's living room, surrounded by a host of leukemia-and-cancer-related teen novels, <em>Before I Die<em> by Jenny Downham, _My_ _Sister's Keeper_ by Jodi Piccoult, Magenta's copy of _A Walk To Remember_ by Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song by the same author and a few random others.

"Wow, Sonny, you're actually reading!" Brad noticed,

"Ssh-ssh, shut up, Anna's crying! **(My Sister's Keeper)** Something is very wrong!"

"That's my little bookworm!" Kimi doted, smooching Sonny on the cheek, he folded his page and tackled her on the carpet, Brad stood up to go check on Magenta, she had been up all night with her night sweats and was still tired, Brad sat on the edge of her bed and drew the covers back a little, she looked up, smiled weakly and shifted on the mattress, the straps of her black lace nightgown shot up past her bony, sloping shoulders,

"You can't stay in bed all day." Brad gently started massaging her bare shoulders, "Sonny and Frank are here." Magenta sat up,

"Sonny?" Brad suppressed a smirk, she loved Sonny, thought he was adorable. Brad thought he was annoying as fuck... Magenta started to stand up and Brad took her hands after she put her sweater on, bringing her into the living room, Sonny looked up,

"Magenta!" he squealed,

"Hi, honey, how are you?"

"Good, you're good too, right?" a sad look passed over Sonny's face,

"I'm fine, I'm okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise!"

"Yay!" Sonny took Magenta's hand and brought her into the living room, she sat on the couch, picking up one of his books,

"Is this my copy of _A Walk To Remember_?"

"Yes, it has your name in it. You got it when you were 12?"

"Yes I did." Sonny re-opened his copy of _My Sister's Keeper, _smiling a little as he traced his finger along the page, he was the only one who could enjoy leukemia because he didn't get it. Both Magenta and Brad wished they could feel that way at that time.

* * *

><p>Magenta was still in bed the next morning when Columbia came into the room, crying,<p>

"Gehnta, Gehnta, wake uhp."

"What?"

"Johnathahn, he-" Columbia took off her jacket and showed a series of bruises on her chest, back and arms,

"Did Jonathan do this?" Columbia nodded, "Well, then I have to tell Brad, he can make him stop."

"I dohn't wahnt to."

"Why?"

"I juhst dohn't wahnt to tell him."

"I don't care, I'm telling him, you can't let him do that!" Columbia stared as Magenta got out of Brad and went into the kitchen where Brad was, she heard a loud shout of 'HE DID WHAT?' and Brad flung open the bedroom door,

"Let me see." Columbia shook her head, "Let me see your bruises." Brad sat next to her and gingerly touched a particularly dark bruise that looked like it had been hit several times, she flinched, "When did this happen?"

"A whihle ago."

"Was he sober?"

"Uh-uh, he nehver ihs."

"Okay. I'll talk to him. Treat that cut on your face before it gets infected."

"Oh. Okahy. Thahnks Brahd."

"No problem." Brad stood up, "Magenta, can you-" Magenta nodded and got some antiseptic from the washroom, Brad proceeded back into the kitchen. Magenta started dabbing at the cut in Columbia's forehead,

"Why did he do this?"

"I dohn't know. I thihnk it wahs 'cause he dihdn't wahnt me talkin' t'Brad an' Frank no more. He thought I wahs two-tihmin' him, buht I wasn't. But he stihll hiht me..."

"What did you hit you with?" Columbia could hear that Magenta was on the verge of tears,

"Juhst his hahnds." Magenta stood up to wash her hands,

"You should'nt see him again this week."

"I gotta, we're goihn' out tonihght."

"Just- If he's drinking, don't go."

"'Kay. Thahnks, hon." Columbia smiled, causing the cut to pulse blood harder, "Oh, shiht."

"Put a bandage on it."

"On ma fahce?"

"Exactly."

"Aw, thaht'll look dumb."

"Not as dumb as a huge cut in your face, cover it with your hair."

"Foine." Columbia started to rearrange her hair accordingly, Sonny walked in,

"Magenta?" he asked, rubbing his left foot on the back of his right ankle. "I have a... question."

"What's that?"

"D'you know where Kimi is?"

"She had to go get ketchup."

"'Cause... we were gonna... ummm..." Sonny tried to think of a lie before he left the room.

"Thaht wahs weird."

"Don't say anything, you're making the cut bleed harder."

"Iht's okahy. You bleehd ahll the tihme."

"I know."

"So?"

"So I have an excuse. Just, don't touch that for a while."

"Okay..."

"Don't pick at it."

"Thaht's gohnna be hahrd..." Columbia stood up and went into the living room. Magenta stayed on the bed, trying to think about how she could help.

* * *

><p>That night, Magenta had to go back to the hospital. She had had a seizure. Brad was outside the room when Nation tripped over,<p>

"Great." she whined, licking lipliner off her teeth, "I'm sober for the first time in a month and I have to come to this god-forsaken shit shack."

"You didn't really _have_ to."

"Oh yeah? That bitch Columbia made me. She came into my tent and wouldn't move. I kicked her out and came up here. What's she doing now?"

Brad stifled tears, "Dying, probably."

"Shit." Nation lit a cigarette, "You put up with _toooo _ much from her." Brad whipped around,

"SHUT UP BITCH! WHY AM I EVEN TALKING TO YOU? YOU'RE INSANE, BITCHY, RUDE, YOU REEK OF METH, AND YOU LOOK LIKE AN ORANGE WITH TITS, SO WHY AM I EVEN BOTHERING?"

"Was that s'posed to be offensive? 'Cause, if it was, screw you. If it wasn't, aw, fuck, I'm still a little high anyway." Nation ground out her cigarette on the back of her bare hand,

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"What d'you think I am? Some kind of delicate princess like your precious little girlfriend? If so, kiss my ass. If not, I stand by what I said before about being a little high from yesterday." Brad stared hard at Nation as she looked around and discretely took a few pills out of her bag. "Delicious."

"You shouldn't do that."

"Whatever. It's not gonna kill me, not any sooner than Magenta's gonna die anyway." Brad felt an urge to punch Nation in the lip but resisted as Kimi opened the door,

"Hi, Brad, oh... hi, um, N-Nation..."

"Hey, Lil' Kim." Nation shoved past Kimi and into Magenta's room,

"Sorry about her, it's her first time being sober this month."

"Oh my God. Really?" Kimi looked at Nation, she was helping herself to mouthwash straight out of her bag, "Should I call security?"

"Let's give her some time." Brad went inside and sat on the bed next to Magenta, she was quiet as Nation started to swirl around the room giggling, Kimi touched the IV lightly,

"She should be awake in a few minutes. She's going to need a spinal tap to see what's wrong, and that is usually painful, not the procedure, she'll be asleep, but the side effects."

"Will we have access to any kind of anesthetic?"

"I will. You won't, but I'll be waiting if you need me. We'll be using lidocaine for the procedure, probably enough to sufficiently numb that area, but after the procedure, don't be worried if Magenta complains of headaches and things like that, here," said Kimi, she shoved a stack of papers at Brad, "I wrote a paper on lumbar punctures last year. I skipped 5th grade. This student-nurse thing is kind of like a college prep. But, we'll be doing to spinal tap tomorrow, so if you could tell Magenta when she wakes up, that'd be great." Kimi looked at the floor and left without another word.

...

Brad sat for three hours until Magenta finally woke up. Her eyes opened and she looked at him,

"What happened? Brad, what happened?"

"You had a seizure."

"Absence, right?"

"Far from that, so you're having a spinal tap tomorrow to see why." Magenta's eyes started to fall shut, "Oh, God, are you okay?"

"I just want to sleep." Brad covered her with the sheets and lay down next to her,

"Are you sure you're okay? You're shaking." Magenta turned around in the bed, "It's okay, Kimi said it's fine to be nervous."

"I'm dying."

"No, you're not. If you were, they wouldn't bother with a spinal tap." Brad pulled her closer,

"It's probably a brain tumor or something."

"You haven't shown symptoms of a brain tumor, you're okay." Magenta shuddered and leaned forward, blood was streaming out of her mouth, she coughed and allowed more blood to surface, Brad held an emesis basin under her mouth and paged Kimi, who came running into the room, Magenta collapsed against her pillows,

"BRAD, GET OUT OF THERE!" Kimi shrieked, Brad got out of the bed and Kimi sat where he had been and stared into the basin, finally leaning over and looking at the blood transfusion on the IV pole. "Oh my God..." she moaned, exasperated, "She coughed up her entire blood transfusion."

* * *

><p>Kimi brought Magenta into the OR for the spinal tap. Brad followed. Frank and Columbia were waiting there, Olivia pulled Brad aside,<p>

"What is it now?"

"Well, I just thought you'd like to know what we're going to be using on Magenta, so, we'll be using lidocaine, through an IV, and the lidocaine that we're using is actually combined with epinephrine to stop bleeding in case it occurs on contact with the needle, we were going to have to do one of these for the leukemia anyway to see if the cancer had spread anyplace, but after the seizures it's become apparent that a procedure like this is necessary."

"Will she feel it?"

"No, we're going to put her to sleep before we start. After the procedure I'll explain what you should do for the side effects." Kimi lay Magenta down on the operating table and exposed a section of her lower back, it was astounding how pale she was, Brad stood next to her and held her hand,

"I want you to know, baby," Brad whispered as she was falling asleep, "How much I love you, I don't care what happens, I really don't give a fuck, I'll be right here."

"She's not going to respond."

"Shut up, Kimi."

"Majors," said Olivia, "You have to leave now, we're about to start." Brad slowly walked away to where Frank and Columbia were standing as Kimi inserted an obscenely long needle into Magenta's back.

...

About an hour later, Olivia let Brad and Frank and Columbia back in, Magenta was lying on her back with tears in her eyes, Brad sat down with her,

"You okay? What's wrong?"

"My head really hurts."

"Here, " Kimi said, placing a paper cup of lukewarm coffee on the table beside Magenta's bed, "Drink this, it helps."

Brad brushed Magenta's hair out of her face, "Can I do anything to help?"

"Leave that to me." replied Kimi. "Scale of one to ten, where's your pain level?"

Magenta inhaled sharply, "Nine. And three quarters."

"The sedatives should kick in soon, and you'll go to sleep, if it hurts when you wake up, I'll get you something. Don't hesitate to ask." Magenta took a sip of the lukewarm coffee and set it back down on the table, promptly digging her nails into the padded rails on the side of the bed,

"TEN!" Brad gave Magenta his hand and she almost broke it,

"Three." said Brad, Magenta let go, Kimi handed her a Tylenol. Suddenly Sonja burst into the room,

"OH, MY BABY GIRL! What the hell did these crazy pill-poppers do to you?"

"Mom, I'm fine, please just go away." Sonja glanced at Brad and then at Kimi,

"Fine. Get better, okay, Princess?" Sonja bent over and kissed Magenta's forehead and walked away. Kimi inserted a needle into Magenta's wrist that was attached to a sedative drip,

"Lean over for a second," said Kimi, Magenta held onto one of the rails and Kimi gingerly touched the pinprick on Magenta's lower back from the needle, the area around it was red and hot, Kimi held some ice against the pinprick and finally covered it with a few bandages. Magenta lay back down, Brad saw Nation come into the room and lean against the wall, she took a joint out of her bra and lit up,

"Just a second, baby." Brad said, bending over and kissing Magenta softly, he stood up and ran over to where Nation was,

"Hey Brad."

"Will you get out of here? She just had a spinal tap and I seriously doubt she wants you in here!"

"Bitch doesn't give a damn. She idolizes me!"

"Don't flatter yourself. She can't idolize you when she's drugged and in a lot of pain, in fact, she thinks you're insane on a good day! She _doesn't_ idolize you!"

"Wanna bet?"

"GET. OUT. of the room."

"I'd like to see you make me."

"I will rip your tits off."

"Gross."

"I'll get Olivia. You see that blonde chick over there? The tall one? With the really big ring that hurts when she punches you with it? I'll get her over here so she can annihilate you."

"I took karate from the time I was six 'till I was ten."

"Wow. Intimidating." Brad left Nation with the joint in her mouth and went back to where Magenta was. She was almost asleep. Her eyes looked glassy and her mouth was hanging open,

"The sedatives are starting to kick in. Once she's fully asleep we'll take her back up to her room." said Kimi, stroking Magenta's hair, "Hey, Brad?"

"What is it?"

"I'm glad she was my first patient." Brad could see Kimi smiling, her head was tilted so her black-and-blue-and-pink bangs covered her eyes and only her hot-pink smile was showing.

"Do you think she'll make it? I mean, do you think she's still terminal?" Kimi shook her head,

"We're pretty sure she isn't. She's been doing so much better, I think she wants to get better for you." Kimi was silent for a second, "She's asleep, let's go, OLIVIA?" Olivia came over and she and Kimi took Magenta back up to her room. Brad followed.

She wasn't terminal.

* * *

><p>When Magenta woke up, Kimi told them. The seizure had been a side-effect of the chemotherapy. Brad thought she was on radiation. Apparently Olivia had been giving her chemo pills behind Brad's back.<p>

...

"I can't believe you! I think I have a right to know what treatment-"

"Shut up, Majors."

"Shut up, Anderson." Olivia frowned. "You've been giving her medication that caused a seizure, you realize that she had to have an unnecessary _spinal tap_? She was drugged, her pain level went up to a ten, I don't know what that means but I'm _guessing _it's a bad thing, and she's on a whole different treatment! Are you listening?"

"Yes, I am most definitely-"

"No, you know what, I'm not even gonna bother talking to you."

* * *

><p><em>Columbia's POV. June 2008.<em>

_I need somebody to fuck. I really do. Eddie is becoming a prude, and I'm not about to have another one-night stand with Rayne, or get it on with Magenta, which is impossible because we're both straight, and I'm don't even feel like getting some Frank action. I feel like a nun. _

_Magenta comes into my room with a bottle of lemon juice and a whole shitload of candy._

_"What's your problem?"_

_"It's this wonderful thing called PMS."_

_"But... lemon juice? That's kinky."_

_"Shut up, it doesn't turn me on or anything, I'm PMS-ing."_

_"You're always PMS-ing." Magenta starts to _drink _the lemon juice straight out of the bottle, "Ew! You're so weird!"_

_"Want some?"_

_"NO. Now if you don't mind, I'm sexually deprived here, so...yeah, go away and deal with your PMS someplace else."_

_"Eat some gummy worms."_

_"What?"_

_"I bought them today, I also have chocolate rocks, jelly beans, Swedish Berries, the fish that taste like different fruits, umm... the fruit slices that _don't_ taste like fruit... the little metallic-y silver things, and these other weird thingies, I'm really not sure _what_ these things are... And some chocolate!"_

_"No thank you." Magenta throws the bag of candy at my head and goes into the washroom, I hear her scream a second later, "Gen? You okay?" I open the door and find Magenta throwing up. But it's blood. Real blood. I suddenly feel like I have to throw up myself, _

_"Columbia, go away."_

_"NO!" _

_"I'm fine, just-" she throws up again,_

_"I'm getting Rayne."_

_"Please don't..."_

_"RAYNE, FRANK, EDDIE, SOMEONE GET UP HERE!" I guess they heard because they all come upstairs._

_"I was climaxing down there!"_

_"You obviously need pitch correction."_

_"I vomited in my sax..."_

_"It's Magenta. There's a lot of blood, it's, like, coming out of her mouth..." Rayne shoves past me and opens the bathroom door, Frank goes in and so does Eddie, I kind of just stand there and listen to Rayne and Frank arguing, finally I go in and find Frank standing in the shower and Rayne sitting on the floor with Magenta bleeding on him. _

* * *

><p><em>Eddie ends up driving us to the hospital. He doesn't even have a license. But all I'm thinking about on the way there is whether or not this happened because she was drinking lemon juice...<em>

_..._

Brad found Nation waiting outside Magenta's room. This time, she looked perfectly sober. And... _not high_. It was disturbing how much she looked like Magenta. Disturbing how eerily beautiful she was.

"You know, you can just go in, she's awake and there's really nothing going on."

"I can stand and be depressed wherever I damn please, _Brad._"

"Excuse me?" Nation's focus snapped in Brad's direction,

"You heard me."

"No, I mean, you're depressed? How can you be depressed when you have more drugs in your tent than at a divey high school in Jamaica. You can just take a few and be the happiest nut on Earth."

"Did Magenta tell you why I'm here?"

"She said Frank talked you into coming."

"She lied."

"What?"

"Remember, when Magenta had that seizure and you said I looked like an orange with tits?"

"How could I forget..."

"Well, Columbia didn't make me come to the oncology department."

"What're you-"

"Brad, I have ovarian cancer. Advanced and possibly terminal. Cosmo set up the tent downstairs so I could get help fast if anything happened. I started doing drugs because it hurt so much." Nation was beginning to tear up, Brad didn't even know she had feelings, he knew she wasn't Magenta and he didn't want to engage in any public displays of sympathy, but she reminded him of Magenta and he hated to see her like this,

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I've had it for four years and I'm an outpatient, it's something you get used to. I don't want what happened to me to happen to Magenta. I'm 26, she's 22, she's had leukemia for most of her life, but she's one metastasis away from being in my position. I won't ever get pregnant, and I don't want that for Magenta."

"I thought you couldn't stand her."

"That's completely untrue. She pisses me off, but she used to be my friend, up until she left to work for Frank. When I was first diagnosed." Without warning, Magenta came out of her room, leaning on her IV pole,

"Nation? Hi, I didn't know you were here."

"Magenta, it's okay, I told him." Magenta looked at Brad for a few seconds,

"Okay." she smiled and went back into her room. Brad noticed how pale Nation was, then noticed the blood on the front of her jeans.

* * *

><p>"MOVE MOVE MOVE!" shouted Olivia, Nation was barely conscious on the gurney she was pushing, Brad followed behind with Magenta in a wheelchair,<p>

"What is it?"

"26 year old female, ovarian cancer, she's bleeding out from her- well..."

"What treatment is she on?"

"Chemotherapy, we don't think bleeding this heavy is usually caused by the treatment, though." The ER nurse turned to Magenta,

"Miss, aren't you in for leukemia?"

"Yes, but she's a good friend, if I could stay with her-"

"Fine. We have to take her in now, are you the husband?"

"Not Nation's." said Brad, "I'm Magenta's fiancee."

"Lovely," the triage nurse took the gurney and took it away, Brad and Magenta trailed behind.

...

"Which room is she in? Do you know?" Cosmo demanded on the other end of Magenta's phone, he was sober and furious,

"She's in the room across the hall from mine, I'm with her now, so is Brad. She keeps asking about you."

"What happened?"

"She just started bleeding. It was the cancer, she's probably going to need an operation. Where are you?"

"Where the crap do you think? I'm in my tent!"

"Oh. Right. The polyester meth lab... Well, can you hurry up?"

"Fine. I just have to find one of those things with wheels... and a long stick... I'm planning on canoeing up there."

"Good luck with that. Just, don't take the stairs." Magenta hung up and turned back to Nation. "He'll be here soon, okay?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"Magenta, I'm sorry for how I've been."

* * *

><p><em>Sonja's POV. 1993.<em>

_The family is going to have dinner with another family from our planet. The McKinley's. Juana and Truman are divorced but they're putting up with each other for tonight. The twins, Cosmo and Nation are probably going to play with my kids, and the oldest daughter, Dionne, is going to a sleepover. We get to the house and Cosmo answers the door,_

_"HI! My mommy made this... thing... that we're gonna eat later, hey Rayne, I got a new sleeping bag!"_

_"NO WAY!"_

_"Yeah way, I'll show ya!" The boys run inside and Nation comes over,_

_"Hi Nation!"_

_"Oh, hi, Magenta."_

_"Wanna go play?"_

_"'Fine..." Juana comes up behind her,_

_"Oh, Sonja and Jerome, you're here! I'm sorry about my CHILDREN! They have absolutely no idea how to behave, TRUMAN, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE, WE HAVE COMPANY!"_

_"I'M COMIN', WOMAN!"_

_..._

_The adults are all having drinks when we hear the kids yelling at each other upstairs,_

_"THAT'S YUCKY, NAT!"_

_"YEAH, REAL YUCKY!"_

_"Are they okay up there?" says Juana,_

_"I think Nation did something... yucky. She gets that from you, Juana."_

_"Aw, stuff it, Truman, that's why we divorced!"_

_Third Person; Upstairs with Magenta and Nation._

_"Hey, Magenta, guess what."  
><em>

_"What?"_

_"You know me and Cosmo?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"We're a... couple."_

_"A couple of what?"_

_"You know, a couple. I love Cosmo."_

_"Yeah, my mommy says that I love Rayne even though we fight sometimes."_

_"No, like, I _love_ Cosmo!"_

_"...EW!...EW EW EW EW EW!"_

* * *

><p>Cosmo opened the door to Nation's room,<p>

"How is she?" Magenta looked up from where she was sitting, with Nation's head in her lap, Brad was in the cafeteria, looking for something that was remotely edible,

"She's sleeping now. She has to so the bleeding will maybe slow down."

"Where'd Brad go?"

"He went to get some food." Nation stirred and started to wake up, Cosmo sat next to her,

"How's my beautiful baby sister?"

"I'm only your 'baby sister' by about 30 seconds." Brad entered the room carrying a takeout box in a plastic bag,

"Oh, she woke up."

"Brad, sweetie, those boxes aren't from the cafeteria, where'd you go?"

"The restaurant down the street." Brad passed Magenta a box,

"Nice, a whole shitload of California rolls! Here, have some, Nat."

"I'm okay." Nation shuddered and exuded a strangled cry as more blood began to stain her sheets, "How heavy is it, Cosmo? I don't want to look..." Cosmo lifted the sheets,

"It's not so bad."

"Really?"

"No."

"I'll get Olivia." Magenta pressed the call button on the wall and Olivia arrived quickly,

"What's wrong?"

"She's bleeding again."

"I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"No." said Cosmo, "She needs me to stay with her."

"Is that okay, Nation?" Nation nodded as Brad and Magenta left,

"Wait," she said quietly, "I need Magenta to stay, too." Brad shut the door as he was leaving.

* * *

><p>Kimi brought Magenta back to the room with tears in her eyes.<p>

"How is she?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Magenta said quietly as Kimi left to go get some more blankets, the heat in the oncology department had gone out.

"No, come here, tell me what happened?" Brad stood up and folded his arms around her waist,

"Brad, please, I just want to go to sleep. I'm tired and it's late." Magenta lay down and covered herself,

"Kimi's coming with more blankets."

"I know."

"Please tell me what happened to Nation."

"She said she didn't want what happened to her to happen to me. It's reversed now."

"What's that mean?"

"Nation has leukemia now, she'll be sharing my room, but she'll need radiation, chemotherapy _and_ targeted therapy, which is a treatment solely for her variation, chronic mylogenous, but she's going to need it more frequently."

"Well, she'll be getting better faster."

"But you saw how chemotherapy affected me, you knew I got burns from radiation, and I'm used to it, Nation had a healthy childhood, she doesn't know what's going to happen." Magenta started tearing up, "I don't want what happened to me to happen to her."

* * *

><p>Brad didn't know what to think. Nation was usually either in treatment or too tired to say anything and Columbia liked to monopolize whatever energy Magenta had and use it as either a meal ticket or a free manicure, and Kimi was too wound up with her own pathetic life to give a damn about much. Brad sat in the same position for hours at a time, staring between Nation and Magenta. They were almost identical when they were both asleep, Nation's hair was a little lighter and shorter and Magenta was smaller physically but with wider eyes, Nation wore less makeup and Magenta was a lot paler, but slight differences aside they could pass for sisters. Especially the way they acted around each other. They had two different personalities; Nation was more outgoing, Magenta was shy and introverted. But they were easy to mix up.<p>

Nation shifted and opened her eyes. Her orange curls were matted and dangling in her eyes as she sat up, she glanced at Magenta, who was still in a light slumber,

"Is she okay?" Nation asked quietly,

"She's okay. She's been waking up and falling asleep on and off, it's the treatment. It affects some people that way." As if on cue, Magenta began to stir and sit up weakly, she rubbed her eyes and pushed her hair back, she pulled her sweater tighter around her shoulders. Nation smirked and leaned back against her pillows.

"Finally awake, huh?"

"Shut up, Nation." Nation smirked again, Kimi opened the door,

"Good, you're both awake, I need a witness."

"Witness for what?" Kimi was dragging Sonny behind her, he was examining his bright yellow nails.

"Sonny, tell me exactly what you told Olivia."

"I bought the perfume, is that such a problem?"

"What kind?"

"Purr. By Katy Perry. It was 57 dollars, plus tax, and I got it at Sephora. I was wearing a black skirt, a white shirt and pink heels."

"Did the three of you all hear that?"

"Loud and clear, Lil' Kim."

"I didn't really care, but I heard it."

"Is it really that big a problem?"

"Yes! In case someone steals it."

"Sonny, don't you have a receipt?"

"I gave it to Frank. He pretty much, like, begged for some paper."

"Why?" Nation was cut off when the lights in the room flickered out. "What the hell was that?"

"Power's out." said Kimi, glancing at her phone, "Of course so is the Wi-Fi- OH NO!" Kimi collapsed onto Sonny,

"She likes having Internet access."

"Being without Internet freaks me out!"

"It's true." said Magenta, "She set up a router at Brad's cottage."

"My mother tried to exorcise it."

"HOW WILL I WATCH MY CAT VIDEOS?"

Nation smirked, "Let Magenta act it out!"

"Meow."

"THAT'S SO HOT..."

...

The power came back on a few hours later. Sonny had managed to sedate Kimi with some canned pineapples and a bottle of chocolate sauce and taken her out for dinner. Brad was picking up Nation's bloody clothes fmor the dry cleaner's and Nation and Magenta were alone.

Magenta was almost asleep when Nation stood up and went into the washroom, she glanced into the mirror,

"Ew. Screw my fucking lips. They're huge. I think I need some kind of plastic surgery or something... I swear, these bitches look like the balloons that they make into balloon animals. But red... Why the hell am I talking to myself?" Nation started to poke at her lips, "MAYBE I COULD DEFLATE THEM!" Nation left the bathroom and was unprepared for what she saw.

Magenta wasn't breathing.

Her mouth was full of blood and she wasn't breathing.

Nation slammed the call button a couple times, and peeked into the hallway to see Olivia running down the hall,

"MCKINLEY, ARE YOU OKAY?"

"No, I'm not, I'm not okay, because I have no idea what to do."

"What's happening?"

"I was gone for a second- I was pissed off about my lips-"

"Let me see her." Olivia shoved into the room, "Oh my God, Nation, 911, call button-" Nation slammed the call button and a few people rushed into the room, Magenta was taken away.

"My God." Nation half-sobbed, "I hate my mother-fucking lips."

* * *

><p>Nation called Brad and he showed up at the hospital within 10 minutes.<p>

"Where is she?"

"The ER."

"What exactly happened?"

"I was gone for a second, I swear, I just went to look at my ginormous lips, and I went back over, and she was lying there, and there was blood everywhere, and she wasn't breathing. Olivia said she's going to take her and see what's wrong."

...

Magenta was unconscious in her bed. A few oncologists were examining her while Brad and Nation sat a few meters away. The oncologists left eventually and cast the room into silence.

"She's so cute." said Nation after a little while, "I mean, look at her. She's 5'2 and she's got such a sweet little figure." Nation tittered nervously, sounding like she was near tears, "Brad, isn't she adorable?"

Brad was silent.

"She's tired." he finally said, "She's tired of this bullshit. She's giving up, I'd be exhausted too."

"Don't say that-"

"Look, Nation, Magenta doesn't remember a time when she wasn't sick. It's been like this since she was two. That's twenty years. Twenty years of blood, and needles and multiple hospital rooms and near-death experiences. She's tired of that." Brad stood up and sat on the end of Magenta's bed, Nation stood over him, stroking her hair.

"I'm tired of it."

"What, ovarian cancer or leukemia, you've had ovarian cancer for longer. You've had leukemia for, a month of two."

"Oh, yeah, they caught it late. No, not that. I've been friends with Magenta for two years longer than she's had leukemia. I was her first friend, I was there when she was born, I was in the church, the doctor that Sonja kicked was my dad, I remember when she was first diagnosed. I was six. My mother came into my room, and she said, 'Nat, that was Sonja on the phone, Magenta has cancer'. I didn't know what cancer was, I just knew it was what almost killed my great-aunt LeAnna, she's still alive, but since then I've been tired of having to watch this happen."

Brad squeezed Magenta's hand tighter, Nation started choking up a little more,

"Brad, that isn't going to help."

"I know. She's okay. She's going to make it. See, she's breathing perfectly fine."

"Brad, that's the respirator. It's breathing _for_ her." Nation stared down at the clear cup over Magenta's nose and mouth, blood was gathering at the edges of the cup and a small pool was forming at the low point. Olivia came into the room.

"This is what I thought would happen."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Magenta's leukemia has spiralled out of control. Her body has been rejecting treatment and it's become clear that despite her recoveries before, she's not going to make it."

"But, she has a little while left right? So we can get married, maybe start a family?"

"No. Brad, no, she doesn't. She's going to die. The only reason she's alive right now is because she's on Live Support."

"Does that mean-"

"MAJORS!" Olivia sobbed, "Brad, I think we should be on a first-name basis, it's time to say goodbye."

"So, when I unplug this machine-"

Olivia nodded, "She'll pass."

Brad fell silent, fruitlessly massaging Magenta's pale hand with his thumb.

Then he felt it.

The slight twitch.

The tiniest grasp of Magenta's fingers as she clawed her way back to the world.

.!.!.!.!

"CLEAR!" Olivia shouted, Magenta's body jerked as Kimi shoved the defibrillator pads against her chest,

"Nothing."

"Charging again, CLEAR!"

"Once more, if we don't get anything, let her go down."

"Once more, CLEAR!"

"DNR, do not resuscitate."

"Just try again!"

"Keep your shirt on, Majors, once more."

"Charging- CLEAR!" Magenta jolted.

Something was happening. Her heart monitor began to trill a little bit, Kimi looked up and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, Olivia dabbed sweat off her forehead,

"It- it worked...?" Brad pressed his ear to her chest.

_thp thp thp thp thp thp _

Her pulse was there. It was irregular and weak, but it was there. Pumping cancerous blood cells throughout her body.

"We did it." Olivia breathed, "My God, she's alive." Olivia's face broke into a relieved smile, Nation fell back against a wall, Olivia exhaled again, "Brad-"

"No, it was all you." Brad replied through the tears of joy that were clouding his vision, "You saved her. God, you can have my car." Magenta took a few fast, rough breaths,

"Get her on oxygen." Olivia ordered, Kimi shoved tubes into Magenta's nose, Nation looked like she was about to throw up. Brad practiced breathing normally. "When she wakes up, she'll be confused, maybe experiencing short-term amnesia, but that's because of the coma and the feeling will pass, you can expect her to wake up either tonight or tomorrow morning." Magenta stirred a little, Olivia, Kimi and the other people left the room, leaving Brad, Nation and Magenta alone together.

They sat in a circle for a few hours, Brad held Magenta's left hand, Nation held onto her right, and Brad and Nation tentatively touched fingers. Every now and then, Magenta's pulse would speed up or slow down, Nation's gaze would shoot up and Brad would tighten his grip on both of their hands.

"She's dying." Nation's voice cracked.

"No, Nation. She's not."

"Brad, please, don't deny it anymore. She's going to die, either today or tomorrow or a year from now if we're very lucky, Brad, you need to grow up and come to terms with this, or I swear to God, you won't be able to handle the end."

As if on cue, Magenta woke up.

She smiled when she saw Brad and Nation,

"What happened? Why am I here? Why am I on oxygen?"

Nation shuddered, "Something happened. I don't know what, but something happened. You were in a coma, that's why you can't remember anything."

Brad kept quiet, suddenly laying across her body and starting to sob violently,

"Please, baby, when we get married, you have to promise never to do that again."

Magenta shut her eyes tightly and stroked Brad's hair.

"I'll try, okay? I'll try hard."

* * *

><p><span>Olivia's POV<span>

I have no idea if Magenta Alvarado is terminal or not. If she is, she'll probably die within a few months, a year, maybe. If she isn't, she will either slowly recover or have a horribly painful life, a long one, but it's going to be painful, essentially a slow death.

Brad Majors is the biggest hypocrite I've ever met in my life. He loves Magenta. Loves her a lot. He wants her to live. But he also wants her to get better. If she's terminal, she gets better by dying.

Magenta Alvarado is 22 years old. She's still a little girl. She didn't go to college, but she's smart, I can feel it. She's possibly one of the nicest-and-bitchiest people I've ever seen, she's so beautiful, even when she's sick like this. After 20 years of leukemia, this lovely woman deserves better. I wish I could give her that.

* * *

><p><em>Sonja's POV. March 2002.<em>

_Death is inevitable. We all die sooner or later, my daughter has cancer, my mother only has one kidney, other than that, my son is a perfectly healthy boy and my husband isn't going anywhere anytime soon, that's for sure._

_Before Magenta was diagnosed, the kids used to batter each other with boxing gloves. I used to say, 'Go easy on each other, I'm not spending the night in the emergency room'. Three years passed, I spent multiple nights in the ER. One night, Magenta was vomiting blood. She was three, she didn't know what was going on, I left Rayne with Jerome and I took her to the hospital._

_We're in Florida now. Magenta is 12, she's growing up too fast for me, Rayne is 15, probably destined to become a juvenile delinquent. Jerome is still in Denton because he has to work and my sister Jayme is here. _

_Rayne comes into our TimeShare flat in a cloud of smoke, Magenta turns the TV down and looks up from her magazine._

_"Ew." she scolds, waving her hand in front of her nose, "You reek."_

_"Not all of us can get our drugs through a portacath, sis."_

_"Alright, kids, settle down. Magenta, you need to get dressed, we're going out for dinner tonight and I hardly think my niece needs to be seen in public in that T-shirt." Jayme waves her hand at my daughter, "You look like some kind of... HIPPIE HO!" Magenta sticks her chest out, she's wearing a psychedelic tie-dye t-shirt with a crab on the front with 'Cancer' written right beneath the colorful crustacean. _

_"Yeah, it doesn't make sense."_

_"In what way?"_

_"Well..." I try to think of something, "You're a Taurus!" Magenta groans and tramps into my bedroom to change. I'm an evil mother, I make my daughter sleep on the couch. _

_"And you-" Jayme turns to point her finger at Rayne, "Take a shower. You smell like a crackhouse."_

_"Dumbass." says Rayne, going into the washroom, "It was pot."_

* * *

><p>Brad, Nation and Kimi sat in silence. Magenta was sleeping off her last radiotherapy session,<p>

"This is so weird." said Kimi. "She's like a tuberculosis patient. She's coughing up _quarts_ of blood at a time. We have to do something."

"You're right." Nation whispered, "She's circling the drain." Brad allowed a few tears to fall from his eyes,

"Do you really think she's going to die?"

"We don't know." Kimi whispered, "There's the possibility of recovery, but at the same time, there isn't. She's still very young, so she has a high chance of recovery, but not as high as it should be." Magenta shivered a little and opened her eyes, Brad sat next to her and she smiled, without warning, Olivia tripped boisterously into the room,

"Hey, lil' hoes...Nation, yo, I gotted t'eat up all th' snacks up in ya teeennnntttt... C'mon, I di'nt wannit t'get SUCKED UP BY THE MOUSES!"

Nation's mouth fell open, "She's higher than me. And I swear to God, that's saying something."

...

Elanna's POV.

My niece is a ghost waiting to happen. I haven't seen her in 8 years and I feel awful about it. She's so pale her body almost bleeds into the bedsheets and her hair looks like her blood transfusion exploded across the pillows. I can see her from the window in the door, there's a man there, and Nation McKinley, one of her childhood friends, and a nurse who looks suspiciously like Hatsune Miku in scrubs... Magenta is such a beautiful little girl. I've missed her so much.

I push the door open, I didn't bother calling up if she isn't even awake, the nurse glances at me for two seconds and looks back down at a tube coming out of Magenta's chest, Nation looks pretty sick but seems awake enough to play Pocket Frogs on her iPhone and the man is petting Magenta's hair like it's a cat.

"Elanna Kane?" The nurse looks at me harder,

"Oh, right. You had me paged."

"Sonja called me and told me she was going to be asleep and I didn't want to wake her."

"Well, she'll be awake soon, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." I sit down next to her bed and the man glances at me,

"Are you her Aunt Elanna?"

"What's it look like?"

...

Magenta wakes up three minutes later when the nurse is done with her. She's drugged so she isn't lucid but it's fine.

I can finally see my favourite niece again.


	12. Trying Hard the depressing chapter

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 10. Trying Hard. **

**This chapter is going to be very depressing, it may make you cry, but this story is supposed to be sad, not like School Days or Sins. But this chapter will have less of Nation and Sonny's little one-liners and Olivia won't be getting high as much and it will be less random and upbeat than previous ones. Just a warning. Also, this chapter will highlight on why Jonathan shouldn't be a doctor and why Cosmo and Nation are in love.**

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning when it happened. About 3:30. Brad was woken up when he felt something weird. He sat up in bed and touched his face. It was completely drenched... He felt Magenta shudder next to him in bed, she coughed and Brad felt even wetter. She coughed again. Brad felt like he was sitting in a swamp the third time she coughed. Finally Brad noticed that the white shirt he was wearing was tie-dyed red.<p>

Brad jumped out of bed and turned a light on, he shook Kimi awake, Magenta began to cough harder and blood began to shoot out of her open mouth like a fountain, it was coming out of her nose, eyes, ears and her blanket had become saturated with blood around her lower abdomen.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

"I don't know, I just woke up and she was doing that!"

"Press the call button." Brad stood stationary for a few seconds, "DO IT, FOR CHRISSAKE!" Brad smacked the call button and Olivia rushed into the room with some other oncologists, Nation sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes,

"What is it?"

"She's bleeding out, get Doctor Majors." a mousy-looking doctor ran away down the hall and came running back with Jonathan, Kimi and Nation dragged Brad out of the room.

...

Olivia came out of Nation and Magenta's room looking exasperated,

"She's stable, she's fine for now, she is hanging on, but barely. Dr. Majors, I need to talk to you." Jonathan glanced up from where he was sitting next to Brad,

"i just asked Kimiko Tanaka what kind of treatment she'd been giving Magenta through her central line, she said a blood transfusion."

"Yes, I was replacing Ms Alvarado's leukemic blood with healthy blood."

"_You_ weren't. You had Kimi do it. Not only was it an unplanned procedure and a waste of donated blood, it triggered excessive bleeding."

"What?"

"You heard me. Congratulations, you successfully induced a hemorrhage in that woman. You pumped her full of blood, and since she had too much in her body, her body decided to get rid of it, she lost so much blood that multiple transfusions have proved themselves necessary, we're trying to find them for her, but they're scarce. Because they've been used."

"There has to be more."

"Magenta is almost out of blood. If we don't get her the sufficient blood transfusions within three hours, she will die and _you_, Majors, will have killed her. You will have killed your brother's fiancee and you won't be able to live with yourself for ruining both of their lives, Brad, come with me, I'll take you to see her, Dr. Majors, try to make yourself useful." Brad followed Olivia into the room and Jonathan stood still where he was.

Olivia opened the door, Nation and Kimi were sitting next to Magenta's bed, Brad sat down next to Nation,

"Jonathan tried to kill her."

"What the hell-"

"It's true." said Kimi, "The procedure he told me to do was what caused this, she had too much blood and so her body started to purge after she had a heart attack. If Brad hadn't woken up, she would have died right there."

Magenta looked even paler than usual, almost blue. Her eyes were rimmed even darker and her lips were almost white and the only colour they showed was the drying blood.

Brad started praying.

* * *

><p>Olivia found herself arguing with Dr-Margaret-Ryan-the-hematologist over whether or not blood transfusions were available.<p>

"Dr. Anderson, I hardly think your patient needs _three_ _consecutive_ _transfusions_."

"She's almost out of blood, she's getting closer to death by the second."

"So?"

"SO SHE'S 22 YEARS OLD! SHE'S ENGAGED TO JONATHAN MAJORS'S BROTHER! SHE'S GOT A WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF HER AND SHE CAN'T DIE NOW IF THERE'S A CHANCE TO SAVE HER!"

"I'll try to get you some blood now, which room is she in?"

"13-N." Olivia started to run back upstairs, her mind was already reeling. She would be so surprised if Magenta made it. It was an absolutely horrifying situation. She would probably be dead by the end of the week, it would kill Brad and Nation, and Kimi. Kimi would have a breakdown. But Magenta wouldn't have gotten married. Or pregnant. Or better for that matter. She hadn't spent one full year in remission for twenty years, that was almost as bad as dying.

...

Dr. Ryan arrived with two blood transfusions just as Magenta was beginning to cough up more blood, Olivia turned her head to the side and held a towel around her mouth to absorb the blood,

"Fuck, Margaret, I need the first one."

"There goes the blood that she has..."

"Well, now we need _two_ more!"

"These two were the only AB negative transfusions I could find! About 1% of the population has this type of blood, how the hell did you even find this woman a kidney transplant?" Magenta started to gasp harder and more blood spurted out,

"GET THE NEEDLE IN ALREADY!" Dr. Ryan inserted the blood transfusion, Olivia started picking up random needles, "That's just more for her to lose, I'm giving her a shot of epinephrine to stop the bleeding."

"Whatever. As long as it stops it. Try to keep her calm. It'll slow the bleeding down." Brad overheard this and stroked Magenta's hair a little more, the blood stopped streaming.

"Is the transfusion working?"

"Perfectly." Olivia dabbed some sweat off her face,

"Okay... okay..." Brad pulled Olivia aside. "What is it, Majors?"

"Does this mean she's dying?"

"Possibly. Luckily, we prevented it because we were able to get the sufficient Life Support, she's lucid, she knows what happened, she's scared, but when she's done with the blood transfusions she needs, she'll be fine."

"So, with this new blood that isn't sick, will she be getting better?"

"No. That new blood will probably become leukemic when it enters her circulatory system."

"God... So the treatment can prevent this?"

"Yes. Magenta's remaining blood is infecting the new blood with cancer, the treatment cleans out her bloodstream by killing the leukemic white cells."

"I'm sorry, I failed 10th grade science." Olivia emitted a strangled sound of nervous laughter.

"I'm not surprised..."

* * *

><p>Nation stayed awake all night. Magenta woke up ocassionally but Brad would soon get her back to sleep and Nation would be alone again. Staring at Magenta's frail body under the thin sheets, engulfed in Brad's sleeping arms. Magenta was achingly beautiful, she managed to maintain a remotely hot body after twenty years of cancer treatment, she had hair that you could get lost in, her eyes were absolutely stunning and everything about her was just so... <em>touchable<em>. Nation was stuck with the kind of anorexic figure brought on by extensive drug use, a tangled orange mess of frizzy curls and the inability to conceive. A desperate man's dream.

When she was a little girl, she and her brother had been close and kissed a few times, when they grew up, Nation became temporarily popular until she graduated high school, she'd tried medical school, she'd wanted to be a neuroscientist, but when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, boyfriends fell away, she became weaker and less focused and turned to incest and drugs. She became an outpatient at the East Side Hospital and Medical Centre, Cosmo bought a lovely house in the suburbs and they left their parents in Denton,

Then Brad and Magenta came into the picture.

Nation snapped out of her daydream-at-night when Magenta coughed loudly, there was no blood, but Brad sat up anyway, Nation lay down and pretended to be asleep.

"Nation, I know you're awake."

"Damn."

"You really do need to rest."

"Since when are you my brother? You can't tell me what to do, okay?" Brad threw up his hands in defeat and lay Magenta back down, stupidly twirling a piece of her hair around his fingers, "Brad?"

"What?"

"Is she doing okay?"

Brad was quiet, "We don't know, she's on her second transfusion, we have to find another by tomorrow or she's screwed. Now go to sleep." Brad lay down and Nation went back to picking at her nail polish.

No way was she going to sleep with the words 'we have to find another or she's SCREWED' bouncing around in her head.

* * *

><p>Columbia volunteered to stay with Magenta the next day, Olivia had managed to find one AB transfusion. Brad felt like it was a bad idea, with any luck, Magenta was going to wake up with hot pink butterflies drawn onto her nails by a hyperactive ex-groupie who thought cancer was caused by eating leftovers from the back of the freezer. Brad and Cosmo each found themselves sitting next to the other in the unusual silence of the waiting room. Cosmo broke the silence,<p>

"Nation's terminal."

"She can't be, she's on treatment, they wouldn't do that if she was terminal."

"Read between the lines, asshole. I've never had to take her to a hospital before. Her condition is going downhill and she's becoming like Magenta."

"Shut up. What the fuck do you know about that kind of thing?"

"I've had to put up with this for four years. You've only had about a year. Nation has been trying to die for the past two years, she overdosed once but they got her back, she's trying as hard as she can." Cosmo stood up, "I'm going to go see her now. If you don't mind."

Brad was left alone in the waiting room.

* * *

><p>Brad went back upstairs at about 7:30 pm, the sun was going down and it cast Magenta and Nation's room into a soft orange glow, Cosmo and Nation were liplocking in Nation's bed and it was evident that Magenta was tired, Columbia looked up,<p>

"Brahd, whaht took you so lohng?"

"More importantly, what did you do to her?"

"Why do you alwahys juhmp to cohncluhsions?"

"Shut up. I bet you don't even know what Jonathan did."

"He sahved her lihfe!"

"He almost killed her." A look of disbelief crossed Columbia's face, "He did the wrong procedure and she almost died!" Magenta's eyes shot open wider and she drew a damp-sounding breath and blood ran onto the pillow, Columbia held a towel around her mouth,

"Brahd, pahge Olihvia."

"This happens all the time, it's fine. I can deal with it."

"You ahre on crahck!" Brad filled a paper cone cup with water from the cooler on Magenta's bedside table and held it against her mouth,

"This should usually stop the bleeding." Magenta collapsed against her pillows just as Cosmo was leaving, Nation sat up, Brad averted his vision from her bare chest, she and Cosmo had really been going nuts,

"Is she okay?"

"She's fihne." Columbia blurted out, Nation smiled and lay back down.

For the first time in a while, everything was okay.

* * *

><p>Kimi's POV.<p>

I don't know if I should be a nurse. If I can't handle Magenta, who has family, and friends, and Brad, then I really won't be able to handle someone who's disconnected from what Magenta has and maybe even sicker than her. I would kill myself.

I've always known I was bisexual. Ever since I was a little girl, my first crush was named Diane Walton, in kindergarten. But I've never _fantasized_ about another girl. Then Magenta came into my life. She's like one of those vanilla statues in high-class cake shops, pale and delicate but curvy at the same time, almost like a Barbie doll, one of the ones from the 50s, before they had insane teeny asses and Dolly Parton boobs, that's her. I've never thought about what I might do with another girl, I mean, I have Sonny, and he's really feminine. Still, he isn't Magenta.

...

_Sonja's POV, April 14th 1997._

_Life's a bitch. A stupid little bitch that brings along cancer and medical bills. The mailbox is full of them, at first I thought they were just generic letters, but among the many postcards from Jerome's mother in Majorca and the annual letter that _my_ mother always sends Magenta on her birthday (it arrived early this year, BTW.) and the book that I ordered for Magenta to read in chemotherapy, and the imported brownie mix from Iceland that I mail-ordered partly because the kids pushed me into it, right under that pile is a stack of medical bills._

_"Shit." I curse to myself, Magenta, vigilant, pokes her head into the kitchen,_

_"You said a bad word."_

_"I know." Magenta comes into the kitchen, sits down at the table and cracks open her new book, "Your letter from Grandma is here."_

_"Really? YAY!" Magenta opens the letter, 50 dollars falls out and I read the letter over her shoulder._

_My dearest little princess,_

_I hope you're feeling better, I had to take the ship down to Earth to mail this letter, that's why the stamp says Oregon, I mailed it from cousin Vivi's house. _

_Happy Birthday! I wish I could see you right now but I'm very busy, please don't spend all the money on candy,_

_Anyway, I'm running out of paper, I love you and say hi to your brother for me._

_-Love, Grandma._

_Magenta picks up the money and smiles,_

_"If I can't spend it on candy, you have to take me to the mall!"_

_Like I said, life can be a real bitch._

* * *

><p>Magenta was on her fourth transfusion when Olivia came in,<p>

"Magenta, I have your test results. They are _extremely_ disappointing."

"What?"

"If you want to make it, you're going to need extensive treatment."

"Like Nation?"

"You're going to need more treatment than Nation. Nation is almost in remission, and you saw how sick the treatment made her. If you undergo treatment, we can almost guarantee that you'll be in remission and you'll survive, but the side-effects of the treatment are going to be painful, perhaps even more than the cancer. If you decide not to have treatment, you will eventually pass at home, you'll continue to hemorrhage and the leukemia will take you over." Magenta's eyes were clouding over, Brad grasped her hand tighter,

"Stop treatment."

"WHAT?" Brad shrieked,

"Brad, you saw how bad it got with Nation, she almost died, she lost most of her hair, I don't want to have to go through that. I want my life back, I want my body back, we could go to Nation and Cosmo's house, they live near here."

"You won't be getting your life or body back." said Olivia, "You'd have about a month, you wouldn't gain weight and you would feel incredibly sick. All the time. If you have treatment, we'll be able to take care of you, and it'll pay off."

"Fine." said Magenta quietly.

"Okay. You start tomorrow." Olivia wiped a tear off Magenta's face, "I promise I'll make this work out, okay?"

Olivia opened the door and left without another word. Brad got into bed with Magenta and gathered her into his arms, patting her beautiful, soft curls, the absence of which would be intensely disconcerting,

"Are you okay? I promise I'll be right next to you every single step of the way, I'll be everything you need me to be." Magenta moved in closer, Brad could feel his tears flowing freely and irrepressibly. _Stop crying. _Brad snapped at himself, _It's not helping. She's scared and you're making it worse than she can handle._ Magenta weakly pulled away and stared back, her eyes were equally as full of tears, she gently removed his glasses and set them on the nightstand, slightly moving up higher on the mattress so Brad could lean his head into her chest, she stroked his hair,

"And I'll try not to be too much trouble." her heart was beating too slow, it was tantalizing.

Olivia came to check on Magenta an hour later. When she found them together, she didn't bother waking them up. She sat down next to them and started crying.

"Goddammit, Magenta. Why can't you just stop getting me paid?"

...

Olivia brought Magenta into chemotherapy the next day, Brad had to take Vitamin A to get a rabies shot.

Olivia began to insert the IV when Magenta glanced at her,

"Is Nation in radiation again?"

"Yeah, but the burns were getting really bad, I tried to talk Dr. Lengies out of it, but, you know, radiologists are like that." Magenta smiled a little, Olivia could tell she didn't find it funny, though. "Here, give me your hands." Magenta held out her hands and Olivia gently placed them into two bowls of ice,

"I never understood why you have to do that, why _do_ you have to that?"

"It's so your nails don't get wrecked."

"Really?" Magenta brushed some hair out of her face and pulled her sheets tighter around herself,

"We should probably start soon. I need to attach this to your central line." Magenta pulled back the neckline of her white hospital gown and Olivia attached the wire that would deliver the treatment. "Okay, just... relax. Shouldn't Brad be here?"

"He had to take his dog to the vet." Olivia started to stroke Magenta's hair, "It's not a problem, he couldn't make it and that's okay."

"Well, Nation's almost done treatment, so I'll have her come in." Magenta smiled and turned white, Olivia handed her an emesis basin,

"Oh God, I forgot what that felt like." Magenta exhaled, leaning back against her pillows,

"You'll get used to it as the treatment progresses." Magenta bit her lip and glanced around the room for a few seconds, finally breaking the awkward silence,

"Never buy glasses at a place that also sells _tires_."

"What about cat food?"

"You just ruined the non-sequitor."

"Sorry, I guess..."

* * *

><p>Brad came back at the end of the day. Nation was sitting next to Magenta's bed holding her hand, the hem of her skirt was bloody and her white blouse was stained red around the collar,<p>

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Olivia told you about the side-effects, didn't she?"

"What happened?"

"Not that it matters. She's fine now, finally fell asleep. How's your dog, is he okay?"

"He just got a rabies shot, it's nothing serious..."

"Then how come you took so long coming back?"

"Nation, please, I had to go to the walk-in veterinary clinic, get my parents' insane dog a rabies shot, drive him back to their house, change my pants and shirt because the little ass peed on me, and drive back here."

"Magenta had to have chemotherapy, she threw up sixteen times- twenty, if you count the times she was hacking up blood, half the time, she only had _Olivia_ for company, and I left _radiation _early to come sit with her, I LEFT RADIATION, and you couldn't just have your brother take your dumb dog to get poked in the ass with a needle. He's an indoor dog, what the _fuck_ is he going to do with a freakin' rabies shot?"

"You don't understand, my brothers were busy and my parents had to go to a retirement party."

"YOU WERE BUSY TOO!" Nation stood up and grabbed Brad by the shirt collar, "Magenta is dying, she's incredibly sick. She had the decency to not ask about you because she knows better than to expect much from you. She is going to die. Don't even try to argue with that, if she goes into remission, great, just wait until the month is over, you'll be back at the hospital cleaning blood off the shoes your _mom_ bought you in Maui, and I bet you'll leave because you have to... get your STUPID DOG a shot of adrenaline to counter-act the Viagra it took from your brother's room, and you'll get back to the hospital and she'll be gone."

"Nation, that is completely below the belt-!"

"Oh, I'm not done! Not even CLOSE! You see, I'm really embarrassed for you, when Magenta wakes up, I'm willing to bet that you'll be gone, you'll be somewhere in Albany huffing paint thinner, and I'll have to explain to that sweet girl why you aren't here."

"Oh, right, _I'll_ be huffing paint thinner, that's rich-"

"It's what one should expect after getting one look at that pill-popper brother of yours! Now I'm starting to get what Sonja was saying about incest! Did you know, that Cosmo has never, ever, not once left me alone when a stranger was pumping chemicals into my bloodstream? That's right! INCEST, LEARN TO LOVE IT!"

"I happen to know Magenta wants very badly to get pregnant so you can-"

"PREGNANT? PREGNANT! SHE CAN'T GET PREGNANT, SHE HAS LEUKEMIA! YOU HEARD ME, DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU, MAGENTA LUCINE ROSALIE ALVARADO, 22 YEARS OLD, HAS ACUTE MYLOGENOUS LEUKEMIA, AN AGGRESSIVE FORM OF BLOOD CANCER, AND SHE IS DYING, DEFINITION; SLOWLY DETERIORATING IN A FUCKING HOSPITAL, AND BRADLEY HOLDEN MAJORS, 24 YEARS OLD, WASN'T THERE AND THEREFORE, THAT OFFICIALLY MAKES HIM AN UNFIT SIGNIFICANT OTHER!"

"You're clearly high, I thought you were off drugs."

SMACK.

Nation slapped Brad across the face. The shallow sound echoed throughout the room, Magenta stirred and her sheets rustled, her IV beeped a little bit in the few seconds before Nation's mouth dropped open and Brad looked back up,

"YOU ARE SUCH A BITCH!"

"It's not news to me."

"I swear to God, get out of my life, get out of Magenta's, get out of everyone's. I may have to talk to Olivia about stopping your treatment because it would be DOING THE _ENTIRE_ WORLD A FAVOUR!"

Magenta chose that split second to open her eyes and Nation's face turned a sickening shade of pink,

"Brad, you're back, I missed you."

"Go to hell!" Nation snapped as she fled the room.

...

The room was cast into silence when Brad finished explaining exactly what had happened. Magenta looked stunned and horrified.

"You suggested that Olivia stop her treatment?"

"I was incensed with rage."

"Why were you incensed, sweetheart?" Magenta was smiling,

"She was... You know, being Nation."

"You can't say that to her, the medication is making her depressed."

"She- what?"

"She's j-" Magenta turned white and coughed, drenching Brad with blood, she held her hands over her mouth and the blood leaked through the spaces between her fingers. Brad pulled her tightly against his chest until the coughing stopped and she was still,

Maybe Brad really was unfit.

* * *

><p>Olivia pulled Brad aside eventually,<p>

"Listen, Tanaka and I have decided that Magenta has been in this hospital long enough. We've decided to discharge her for outpatient care."

"We don't have anywhere to go. We can't go back where we were staying before, they have family staying over."

"I'm also discharging Nation McKinley. I happen to know that Nation and her brother own a house that isn't very far away. You can stay with them...? I'll be sending Kimiko with you, though, considering Magenta's condition."

"The last time we left the hospital, Magenta got sick, she had a fever of 107 and she almost died."

"I'll be checking in once every week, and Dr. Majors will be checking in twice a week."

"Fine."

...

Cosmo and Nation's house was absolutely beautiful. The walls were mainly either glass or smooth beige hardwood. There were a few extensions off the sides of the house and a hot tub on the roof. It was suggestive but convenient.

Brad and Magenta went up to their room to unpack, laying their bags on the cushy white bed, Magenta sat down,

"It's nice here, isn't it? And it only set Cosmo back about 16-grand. He bought it when Nat was diagnosed, it actually almost made her better." Brad smiled and sat next to her. The sheets were too white. If they got bloody it would be too apparent. All they could do was wait for night to come. Maybe the house could work for Magenta too.

* * *

><p>Magenta woke up early and looked around, Brad was still passed out next to her, she got out of bed and tripped down the hall to washroom.<p>

The bathroom door opened, bringing a knife-slice of cold air in on it's heels. The cold air seemed to bounce off Nation's potentially-burned skin.

"Fuck." she cursed under her breath, looking out from behind the shower curtain, Magenta was standing there examining her own nose in the mirror, "You little narcissist. This house has three bathrooms and you had to pick this one to pop your stupid GVH zit."

"Shut up." Magenta bitched, glancing at Nation, "You look like a lobster. Be sure not to use all the hot water."

"I like to get so roasted you could pass me off as fried chicken."

"Do I have to listen to you?"

"No, but you do have to pass me that towel right there." Magenta shoved a white towel into Nation's hand, "If I'm that annoying, just leave."

"So you can blow-dry your goddamn hair in privacy? Sorry, no."

"You really _are_ a bitch."

Magenta smirked and went back to picking at herself, Nation saw an opportunity for sabotage, "Your nails are so creepy."

"Good for you."

"You shouldn't wear skinny jeans."

"Why?"

"They look baggy on you."

"Oh, yeah. Sure, okay. You still have an ass and I don't care. Just wait until the month is over." Nation stuck her hand under the faucet and threw some water out, the drops soaked into Magenta's hair, "Did you just splash me?"

"Take a wild guess." Nation got out of the shower and hipchecked Magenta away from the mirror,

"Fuck you, I'm gonna bruise!"

"Too goddamn bad." Nation spat back,

"I hope your stupid hot water burns you."

"That was the point."

Magenta opened the door and cold air streamed into the room, it burned Nation's skin even more than the scalding water in the shower.

"CLOSE THE FUCKIN' DOOR!" Nation screamed, slamming the door, she really was red. She'd turned the hot water on full blast, it wasn't that big a problem when you were freezing cold anyway.

...

Jonathan showed up at about 8:30 that night. He took Magenta upstairs and they were gone for a while. Kimi smirked through a mouthful of lettuce,

"Should I go check on them? I mean, you know how Jon- Sorry..."

"Magenta wouldn't cheat on me." Brad snapped. "Just because Sonny doesn't necessarily have a determined gender."

"Brad, you're full of beans."

"Beans? _Beans_, Kimi? BEANS?"

"Yes. Beans. Beans, Brad."

"Shut up, Nation." Cosmo and Nation giggled at each other, _they're probably partially high_, Brad thought to himself.

"I'll go see how they are up there." Nation stood up and went upstairs. She was gone for two seconds before she screamed and ran back downstairs.

"Is everything alright?"

"Kimi, you need to come up here with me, I think you'll want to see this."

"What is it?"

"JUST COME, JUST HURRY!" Nation shouted, running back up the stairs with Kimi bringing up the rear.

Kimi screamed as well. Brad and Cosmo had no choice but to follow them upstairs. Kimi and Nation were frozen in the doorway.

Jonathan had Magenta's naked body pressed hard against the bedroom wall. They were standing in a puddle of blood. Jonathan was oblivious to the four people standing in the doorway, Magenta could see them.

There was a knock on the door downstairs. Brad could see Olivia, Frank and Columbia standing outside through the glass wall,

"Cosmo," Nation said without turning her head, "Go let them in and get them up here as fast as you can, but do it quietly. We have to be _very_ quiet." Cosmo backed down the stairs and within seconds brought Frank, Columbia and Olivia upstairs.

Frank broke the silence.

"You sick SON OF A BITCH!" Jonathan whipped around and dropped Magenta, she landed hard on the previously-immaculate floor, gathering her knees to her chest and covering her mouth with her hands,

"What?"

"I think you heard me." Frank started toward Jonathan,

"Don't start with me, you AIDS-infested fag-"

"JON! PLEAHSE!" Columbia ran to Jonathan but he brought a hand down hard on her cheek. She stumbled backward and Olivia caught her,

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" Nation shouted, Jonathan forced a clenched fist right between her eyes. Magenta gasped, Cosmo gritted his teeth,

"NOT MY SISTER, YOU BASTARD-"

"STOP!" Kimi squealed, holding her hands over her ears as she sat on the floor, beginning to cover Magenta with her discarded clothes, Cosmo pulled Nation to her feet and Olivia shoved her way into the room,

"DR MAJORS-"

"Don't say anything or you end up like her."

"WHAT IS THIS, SEXUAL BLACKMAIL?" Nation picked up an undetermined object. When Brad looked closer, he could see that it was a handgun, the room fell silent.

"You have three seconds to get out of my house. Or I pull the trigger and don't let go until you're dead."

"Nation, please."

"Not now, Olivia."

"NATION-" Nation dropped the gun, it hit the floor with a resounding _KL__AHK. _

Jonathan left without another word.

The room was silent until Kimi's aching sobs became audible. Magenta's eyes were glazed. Olivia sat down next to her,

"Brad, Cosmo, and Frank, can you leave, please? She's not wearing clothes." Cosmo started to shove Brad and Frank away from the doorway.

...

Nation, Olivia, Columbia and Kimi sat around Magenta's body for about two minutes before Kimi broke the uncomfortable silence,

"Should we move her?"

"I thihnk we shouhld."

"No." said Olivia, "It'll make the bleeding worse, I want to give her a BCP in case anything happened, Nation, I have some in my purse, go get that please. Kimi, get some pillows and a blanket, and, Columbia, assemble a makeshift bed in this corner, Magenta, are you okay?" Magenta gently shook her head, Nation handed Olivia the pills, "Here, take this, sweetie. Nation, get me a few washcloths, we're so lucky she's not coughing up any more blood, she can't afford to lose more than she already has."

"Olivia, we need to take her to a hospital."

"Not necessarily, she doesn't need a transfusion or any kind of IV. Not all rape victims like this need to be hospitalized."

"She has leukemia! See how heavy the bleeding is?"

"Kimi, Olivia, I'm right here."

"Sorry, I just gave you a BCP, just to be safe."

"Oh, okay, thank you. Does Brad know?"

"He was there, he saw." Magenta held her head in her hands,

"Did he say anything?"

"He knows it isn't your fault, it's okay." Nation held a washcloth against Magenta's face, "Nat, her face isn't bleeding."

"She's sweating!"

"Give me those." Olivia snatched the washcloths back and ran them along Magenta's inner thighs,

"Olivia, can you get Brad please?"

"You need to rest first."

"I can rest later, I need to ask him something."

"Is it really that important?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Olivia stood up and went downstairs, "MAJORS, GET YOUR FAT ASS UPSTAIRS!" A few seconds later she returned with Brad behind her, Brad sat on the floor and put an arm around her,

"Ssh, what is it? Tell me, baby."

"Remember- oh, God, remember when you proposed to me?"

"How could I forget? If this is about what happened, it's okay, it wasn't your fault, we're still engaged."

"But I just have one question, is this going to get in the way?"

"You mean what happened tonight?"

"No, I mean everything, you know, are we going to have to get married in a hospital, am I going to have to get my dress altered at the last minute because I'm losing weight, what about-" Magenta covered her eyes, "What if I die before we can even make plans."

"No, it's okay, you're on treatment, you're okay, and I promise, I wouldn't let that happen."

"Majors, you should leave, you're making this harder than it needs to be." Brad stood up, "Majors, out!"

"Why'd you kick him out?"

"Tanaka, if you were bleeding out and that Furter kid was in here, I'd ask him to leave, too, Nation, if it was you, and Cosmo was in here, I'd get him out, sure as hell-Shit."

"What is it?" Magenta questioned nervously, "I won't believe it unless you say it, what's broken?"

"Nothing's broken."

"Then what's 'shit'?"

"You have an open abrasion on your leg, but it's fine, Nation, do you have any peroxide?"

"Downstairs in the kitchen next to the sink."

"Kimi, go, and get some bandages, too." Kimi stood up and Olivia held Magenta's right arm around her shoulder, "Okay, try and keep your legs clenched together, Nation support her on the other side, okay, just lay her down here." Nation lay Magenta down on the cluster of pillows.

...

30 minutes passed, Kimi went back to her room, Columbia and Olivia left and Brad found a bottle of tequila, Magenta laid back against the pillows on her bedroom floor, she could still feel blood pulsing from between her legs, she covered herself with the quilt Olivia had given her, a soft purple glow was coming from the window across the room that was partially covered by a white lace curtain. Nation was almost asleep next to her and Brad was sitting across the room, getting wasted and holding his head in his left hand. Magenta felt a tear escape past her eyelashes and Nation dried it with her sweater sleeve, Brad coughed and dried his eyes too. Nation pulled Magenta's pillows down,

"Try to rest, alright? It's okay, you're safe now." she whispered, taking hold of Magenta's hand.

...

Brad could vaguely make out Nation and Magenta sitting together in the corner where Magenta had to sleep. Olivia didn't want to move her in case it made the bleeding heavier. He couldn't take it anymore, he stood up drunkenly and stumbled into the hallway, dialing his brother's number on his cellphone.

"Hello?" said a nonchalant male voice on the other end.

Brad was silent,

"Are you there?"

Brad swallowed the lump in his throat,

"Why would you take advantage of her like that?"

"Brad, hi."

"Answer the question, Jonathan."

"Brad, I'm a guy, I have needs."

"You raped her!"

"Don't say that."

"Jonathan, you drilled her so hard she can't even walk, she's lost so much blood she's too weak to even keep her eyes open."

"How is that my problem." Brad slammed the phone down.

* * *

><p>Magenta's head was reeling, she could see flashbacks of the past two hours. Jonathan tearing her clothes off, his nails digging into her thighs, the blood. The flashing moments started going faster, Magenta's vision burned, it was too fast, it hurt, it kept replaying, rape, blood, pain, sweat, blood, rape, tears-<p>

Magenta screamed.

She jolted upright in her makeshift bed with a violent choking gasp, sweating heavily. Her bloody white camisole, the one Kimi had tried in vain to dab clean, stuck to her skin in an uncomfortable way. Her aching scream woke about everyone in the house, Nation looked up from the bed and Brad moved closer to her in his spot beside the pile of pillows and quilt. It was early in the morning, probably about 2:30, finally the cuts and bruises started to sear again and Magenta collapsed back down. Brad gathered her into his grip,

"It's okay, I'm right here-"

"I-I could-"

"I know, but it's okay now."

"Brad, what is it?" Nation questioned, sitting up in bed,

"Nation, go back to sleep."

"No, what's wrong, I want to know. I have a right-"

"NATION! LET ME HANDLE THIS!" Brad shouted, Magenta was shivering and crying harder. Nation slid out of bed and gently touched Magenta's hand,

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Nat, I'm okay." said Magenta quietly, she wasn't calm yet.

"Nation." Brad whispered, "I need you to leave, it's fine, we're fine. Just go back to your room and go to sleep."

"But-"

"I can take care of Magenta myself. Please." Nation stood up and went back to her room. She fell asleep listening to Brad's words of gentle reassurance echoing in her head as Cosmo covered her with the white blankets.

...

...

Cosmo opened his eyes and found Nation wrapped tightly in the sheets next to him, her beautiful hair was strewn across the pillow, Cosmo ran a hand through it to see how much came out.

More than usual.

Nation opened her eyes and shifted, the sheets rubbed against her burns and she shuddered,

"Were you touching my hair?"

"More came out this time." Nation buried her face in Cosmo's shoulder,

"Make love to me." Cosmo inched away and Nation fell back on the mattress.

"Nation, you're too sick."

"No I'm not."

"You're immunocompromised. I can't risk anything."

"I'm really fine, okay? Just once?"

"Nation, please. You're very sick and I don't want to make it worse." Nation stood up,

"You're a buzzkill."

"I know." Cosmo ran a hand down her exposed back, stopping when he saw a burn the color of Magenta's hair. "Does this hurt?"

"A little." Pause, "Can you not touch it?"

Cosmo's hand snapped away, "Sorry." Nation turned around and covered her chest. "Are you sure you feel okay?" Nation paused, her eyes shot open and she grabbed her abdomen,

"No, Cosmo, I'm not okay, get Kimi."

"What is it?"

"Please." Nation's eyes were filling with tears, Cosmo stood up and went down the hall to Kimi's room, she was looking at pictures of kittens in veterinary magazines,

"Hey, Cosmo."

"Kimi, it's Nation, something's wrong, just come."

...

Magenta woke up to Kimi screaming, Brad was still asleep next to her, she stood up slowly, bracing herself against the wall, she slipped her skirt back on and inched into the hall, unprepared for what she saw.

...

When Brad woke up he was alone. Alone except for a note left where Magenta had been the night before,

_At the hospital, call me when you find this. -M._

...

"Hello?"

"Magenta, hi, I got your note, what happened, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, but Nation- Just come to the hospital, we're in the ER, come as fast as you can." Magenta pleaded,

"Okay. I'm on my way." Brad hung up and ran to his car.

* * *

><p>Brad arrived in the ER in a cloud of sweat and the smell of hospital, he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with a hole in the shoulder, he hadn't had time to change his clothes, Magenta, Cosmo and Kimi were standing together across the room, Magenta looked up and Brad ran to her, her skirt was bloody, Brad had a suspicion, seeing as Kimi and Cosmo were covered in blood as well, it wasn't hers. When Brad reached them he held Magenta tightly,<p>

"What happened? Is Nation okay?"

Magenta leaned back, "No, they don't know, but Olivia took her, we don't know what room she's in."

"6-K." said Olivia from behind Brad, he whipped around and saw her standing there, her trademark forced smile was gone, replaced by a dark look of obligation, "Come with me."

Nation was sitting up in her bed, picking her nail polish off,

"Nat..."

"Cosmo, hi." Nation smiled,

"Nation, we have your labs." said Olivia, "There's something we think you should know."

"What? Am I terminal?"

"No, but it's the next worse thing for a woman your age, Nation, your ovarian cancer has spread to your uterine walls, it's only operable by..." Olivia paused and shuddered, "_Hysterectomy.__" _

"Hysterectomy?" Nation's eyes shot open wider, "I'm 26!"

"And you'll die if you don't have this surgery." Nation dried a few tears,

"All I wanted was to get pregnant. That was it..."

"Your baby would have been sick, if you'd gotten pregnant in your condition. I'm sorry, Nation." Olivia stroked Nation's hair, then turned her attention to Cosmo and Magenta, "We think an assistive factor as to why the cancer developed was after the radiotherapy we directed at her ovaries, it probably is, but Nation, I have to ask you a few questions, what age were you when you had your first period?"

"I was 14, the same age as almost every other woman in my family."

"Okay, and have you missed any recently?"

"Well..."

"Yes?"

"I haven't had one in about 6 months. I think I've had about... 12 in the past four years..."

"Oh, God. Okay, you have the surgery in two days."

Olivia left, Nation covered her mouth with her hand, Cosmo sat next to her and held her tightly,

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Nat."

"No, I should be sorry, Cosmo, I'm not having babies. I should be sorry." Cosmo lay Nation down, it was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Magenta started falling asleep around 11 pm. Cosmo glanced at her,<p>

"Brad, Kimi, take her back to the house, I'll give you a key, but you need to go back." Brad gently lifted Magenta's sleeping body off the windowseat and Kimi put her shoes back on, they exited the room quietly after Cosmo handed Kimi a key.

Brad laid Magenta down in the backseat of his car,

"Kimi, is Nation's car here?"

"No, we got an ambulance." Kimi sat down in the front seat and glanced into the back, "She's so pretty when she's sleeping, I just hate it when people sleep with their mouths open, but her mouth is always closed. Every single time she's in the hospital her mouth is closed..."

"I noticed, Kimi. I sleep with her every night, remember?"

Kimi smirked and stared at her feet, Brad got into the car and they drove away.

...

The house was dark when they arrived. Brad carried Magenta up the stairs, when he laid her down she opened her eyes,

"Mmmm... Nat... how is she?"

"She's okay."

"Good, I have to go shower." Magenta stood up and went into the washroom.

Brad didn't hear the water turn on.

He stood up and minced into the washroom, Magenta was standing in front of the mirror, occasionally inhaling sharply, Brad put a hand on her shoulder,

"What's wrong, baby? What is it?" Magenta looked up at him with bloodshot green eyes,

"My hair..." she held out her hand, in her palm was a cluster of soft red curls.

* * *

><p><em>Sonja's POV, 2008.<em>

_6 years ago, the family was involved in a car accident, we got the car fixed eventually, though._

_The car went into a ditch when I was yelling at the kids, I ended up needing stitches, and with a broken wrist, Rayne got glass embedded in his left knee, Magenta almost bled out. Jerome jumped out of the car and escaped with barely a scratch. _

_Later that week, Magenta metastasized with bone cancer, she beat it after a month of treatment._

_The Alvarado family is a string of medical nightmares. I almost died when Rayne was born, Magenta is just... well, you know, my mother only has one kidney, and Rayne is usually the reason that other families have these medical nightmares with _their _kids._

_The kids are both working now, I call Magenta every night, every single time she says the same thing,_

_"I'm fine."_

_"Do you have a boy over?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Tell him to leave!"_

_..._

_When the kids were in elementary school, Magenta lost all her hair. She didn't go out in public if she could help it and she wore lots of hats,_

_After that, it grew back extremely thick and stayed there._

_Ever since the kids were in high school, Magenta would come home from school and cry in her room for hours, it wasn't her hair, or her complexion or her GVH scars._

_It was her height._

_The treatment stunted her growth, she would get so upset because she was the shortest girl in her grade, Rayne, of course, made it worse when he broke into her room and installed shelves above her reach. She was 5'1 at the age of 14, the tiniest girl I'd ever seen in my life, _

_So I bought her a pair of heels, therefore making me the favourite parent..._

* * *

><p>Nation's surgery came fast, almost as if the two days had never existed. Magenta, Brad and Kimi went to the hospital. They found her in her room, the anesthetic was almost setting in, Cosmo was sitting next to her and holding her hand, he looked up, Olivia stood over her,<p>

"We'll be taking her to the OR soon, this time we're going to do something we don't do very often, we're going to let y'all come in and stay with Nation during the surgery." Olivia folded up the padded rails on the sides of the bed and dragged it out of the room.

...

"Nation, I'm Dr. Roz Strauss, I'll be doing your hysterectomy today."

"Okay."

"So, tell me about yourself, sometimes that helps the anesthetic, so, uh, when were you diagnosed with ovarian cancer?"

"... 4 years ago."

"Okay, and, did you have anybody to support you?"

"My family, my parents and my brother were there."

"That's good." Roz replied, smiling, and stroking Nation's hair. She looked old enough to be a grandmother, but she seemed experienced, in light of this, nobody except Roz noticed that Olivia was crying. "Dr Anderson, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just peachy over here."

Roz glared at her, "So, Nation, sweetheart, how old are you?"

"26, I'll be 27 in September."

"You're young, darling, most girls your age don't need to have hysterectomies."

Olivia sobbed audibly across the room,

"Dr Anderson, do you need to step out, dear?"

"I'm fine, Dr Strauss."

"Clearly you're in hysterics! We can't have you hysterical in the middle of a hysterectomy!"

"The woman sounds like Dr Suess instead of Dr Strauss." Cosmo whispered in Brad's ear.

"Olivia, we'll make do without you." said Roz, "Now go and recover yourself." Olivia left the room in tears, "I'm sorry, Nation, dear."

Olivia leaned against the corridor wall and tried to regain partial composure when a little girl came over with a woman who looked about Brad's age,

"Excuse us, lady." said the little girl, "She can't breathe."

"No, sweetheart, I'm okay." said Olivia,

"No, not you, my auntie Magenta."

"Auntie Magenta- RAYNA, JANET! WHAT THE HELL IS SHE TALKING ABOUT?"

"I was just with her, I wanted to apologize for the way I've been treating her, and she just stopped breathing." Janet half-sobbed,

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"Brad brought her to the ER, please come with me." Janet grabbed Olivia's hand and dragged her to where Magenta was, Brad was standing in front of her, her lips were blue, Kimi was freaking out,

"Tanaka, page Dr Pearson."

"Okay."

"Who's Dr Pearson?" said Brad,

"She can save Magenta. Don't question it."

"She's on her way."

"Crap, we need to intubate- DR PEARSON, OVER HERE!" A tall woman who bore a weird resemblance to Tyra Banks ran over,

"What is it?"

"22 year old leukemia patient, respiratory distress."

"What treatment is she on?"

"Extensive, for AML."

"Alright, I'm taking her to x-ray, sir, are you the husband?"

"Fiancee."

"You have to stay here."

"WHY?"

"Because you just do, SCAT!" Dr Pearson took Magenta away.

Brad had no choice but to watch helplessly, Rayna's sobs providing the painful soundtrack.

* * *

><p>Magenta was admitted to Nation's room after the hysterectomy, Brad was turning her hand over and over in his when Olivia slammed the door open.<p>

"Brad, we have the test results."

"Really? What happened. Olivia, please don't cry-" Nation sat up, she had recently woken up,

"Olivia, just tell us."

"Nation, lay back down." Cosmo demanded, Kimi dried a tear,

"QUIET!" Olivia screamed, "I need to say something. I have her test results. Brad, Magenta has lung cancer."

"SHE HAS **_WHAT_**?"

"It's a very operable tumor, we can remove it easily, fix her lung and the metastasis will be over without any treatment, but it'll cause long-term respiratory problems."

"So, what, she won't be able to breathe?"

"It'll be assisted, she'll have to be on oxygen every night and for an hour every day, almost like asthma medication."

"How did this happen?"

"Magenta is a heavy smoker, that could be a factor, or it could be a metastasis, or just bad luck. But before the surgery, we'll have to do something like dialysis to make sure the operation is safe."

"What would happen if she smokes after the operation?"

"She'll stop breathing."

"When does treatment start?"

"Right now, I'll have to wake her up for it." Olivia handed Brad a long, thick, plastic tube, "This is a suction tube, we're going to clear the blood out of her lungs, and-" Olivia paused, "You're essentially going to be breathing for her." Olivia shook Magenta gently, she opened her eyes and glanced around apprehensively, Olivia placed the cup on one end of the suction tube over her mouth.

"MM-"

"Ssh, Magenta, sweetie, listen to me." Olivia covered, "This is a suction tube, we need to extract the blood from your lungs, so Brad's going to manually ventilate you, okay?" Brad held the tube in both hands and began to sweat, then he realized that she couldn't breathe, "MAJORS, ARE YOU BRAIN-DEAD? Sorry, just take slow, deep breaths."

"Brad, I'm taking a picture."

"You're next, Tanaka."

"WHY ME?"

"You're the nurse."

Kimi slouched on the windowseat, Nation smirked.

...

**Brad's POV.**

Manual ventilation is kind of Olivia's fancy way of saying that Magenta can't breathe so I have to do it for her. There's so much blood in her lungs that she can't speak and when she does she sounds like a cystic fibrosis patient. This is pretty much all happening because Olivia wants to see if Magenta's body can handle the operation, even though I'm the one keeping her alive.

Magenta tries hard to sit up but collapses, "Drown-" she chokes out, trying to sit up again, I lay her back down again and rub her hand,

"It's okay, angel, I'll do it while you rest." Olivia comes and sits next to me as Magenta is shutting her eyes,

"You did good, Majors. She must really trust you."

"I hope so."

**Third Person.**

Sonja arrived at the hospital within hours of the news, Magenta had just fallen asleep, she was off manual ventilation,

"Brad, how is she?"

"She's doing a lot better than before, she can kind of breathe by herself now. There's three days before they operate on the tumor in her lung, we're seeing what she can handle."

"How was she during manual ventilation? Was she okay?"

"She was fine, I think it worked."

"Great." Sonja sat on the end of Magenta's bed and put a hand on her shoulder, "I never would have expected this. I tried to get her to stop smoking... She started in high school."

"I wanted her to stop too."

Sonja smiled, "She's so lucky to have you."

"I'd hardly say-"

"Brad, listen to me, when Magenta was first diagnosed, my idea of a miracle was her eighth birthday, now that she has you, I'm rethinking all that. You're a miracle, Olivia can prescribe whatever she wants, but I know you can cure Magenta all on your own."

"I think I'm lucky to have her too, I love Magenta, Sonja, I want to spend the rest of my life with her, that's why I proposed."

"I just hope you know what being her husband entails. Magenta is very sick, therefore leaving you to look after her. She has too many physical and emotional needs for Jerome and I to handle, and that was when she was still a little girl, it's April, she's almost 23 now, it's going to be easier, but not by much, I just hope you're up for it."

"Of course I am."

"I hope so- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you or anything, it's just that, I know you love her, it's going to be very hard."

Magenta started to wake up, Brad held a hand behind her back, she coughed violently and a few drops of blood sprayed onto the cup over her mouth, Brad supported her as she sat up and coughed harder,

"Princess, you woke up." Sonja whispered, "How're you feeling?"

"Like *cough* complete shit."

Olivia opened the door,

"Oh, Sonja, you're here, hi."

"Hello, Olivia."

"So, Magenta, I need you to lean forward and breathe as deeply as you can, Majors, make yourself useful." Brad leaned her forward gently and Olivia held a stethoscope against her exposed back, "This might feel a bit cold."

"I remember." said Sonja.

"It's fine. *cough* It stopped being cold *cough* when I was eight." Olivia smiled but suddenly stopped, pulling the stethoscope away, "Is something wrong?"

"It's just that, your breathing isn't as good as I thought."

"You didn't *cough* get your hopes up, *cough* did you?"

"No, I mean, you can hear the blood. Just, you know, sloshing around in there."

"Ugh, appetizing... That's just *cough* gross, Liv." Olivia stroked Magenta's hair, "I think that- Oh no, oh God-" Magenta started to cough hard,

"Princess, what's wrong? What hurts?"

"Sonja, she's fine, Majors, get up, we're doing another round of manual ventilation." Brad shoved one end of the suction tube into his mouth, he was about to breathe for her again.

* * *

><p>The surgery came faster than Nation's had. Magenta was taken away. Brad found himself waiting with Kimi, Columbia, Sonny, Frank, Cosmo and Nation outside the OR.<p>

"Whaht exahctly are they doing in thehre?"

"They're going to collapse her lung, remove the tumor, and keep her on oxygen for a few weeks after, but she'll need oxygen after that. Forever. The operation will have caused respiratory problems." Cosmo explained.

"How long will it take?" Nation whispered,

"A few more hours." said Kimi, Brad kept quiet. "Brad, are you okay?"

"How many people have ever died from this?"

"Lung cancer? Or surgery? What're you talking about?" Frank inquired,

"I'm talking about the chances we're taking with this. What if that was Lucille? This surgery is doing more harm than good."

"In what way?"

"It's extremely detrimental, it's going to irreversibly damage her lungs, Frank, what if Lucille had a surgery like this, and you had to watch her be sick and in pain for the rest of your lives together-"

"SHE IS SICK, BRAD!"

"SHE'S IN REMISSION, FOR CHRISSAKE!" Frank was about to scream in response when Nation stood up and ran down the hall.

"Nice." Brad snapped. He and Cosmo stood up and proceeded down the hall to deal with her.

...

They found Nation sitting on the floor of the hallway of the Maternity Department with her back against the wall,

"Nat...?" Cosmo whispered, "Nat, sweetie, talk to me..." Nation looked up, her eyeliner was running, Cosmo sat next to her and dried her eyes, she flinched,

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck... _FUCK_!"

"Nation, what is it?"

"It's me or her."

"What? What the fuck are you-"

"Either me or Magenta is going to die, it's occurring to me now, we're too similar, only one of us can exist at a time. We should stop my treatment. Now, Cosmo, tell Olivia when Magenta's done surgery." Cosmo lifted Nation up and held her for a few seconds, gently rocking back and forth.

"Brad, Nation needs to rest, she doesn't know what she's talking about, tell Magenta we both love her, okay?" Brad kind of smiled and Cosmo walked away down the hall with Nation gathered in his arms. Brad slammed his head against the wall and sobbed. For the first time in his life, he understood the thought process behind wanting someone to die.

...

Brad's phone rang. It woke him out of his boozy haze, he had taken to carrying a small bottle of tequila wherever he went, cancer was too hard to deal with sober.

Brad sat up and wiped some of the tears off his face, his skin had become hot and red from crying and being wasted.

The phone continued to ring, Brad's irritatingly constant ringtone of _Stairway to Heaven_ (Only appropriate for being in a relationship with a cancer patient) was blaring throughout the hallway filled with mothers and their sweet newborn babies. Brad answered the phone and Olivia's soft, loving voice fell out of the speaker,

"Success. We're done."

Brad stood up and walked down the hall to oncology.

* * *

><p>Olivia was standing outside Magenta's room beaming.<p>

"Oh, God, Majors, I wish you could have been there. I sincerely wish-"

"Why, did she ask for me?"

"No, she was drugged, but it went so well! She didn't code once, there was no heavy bleeding, and she's lucid now."

"How lucid? Because sometimes lucid means something different to you than it does to... you know... regular people..."

"She's lucid enough to talk to you, now get your ass in there." Brad opened the door, Magenta was most definitely _not_ completely lucid. Brad sat next to her and held her hand, gently kissing the surface of the plastic oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, leaving a thin fog from his breath on the plastic. A delicate hand brushed gently through his hair, Brad leaned back and stared into her eyes for a few seconds before his tears began to flow freely. Magenta stared back, finally opening her mouth,

"S'th'surg'ry done?" she whispered, her slurred, raspy speech made the mask vibrate,

"Yes, my love, it's over now, and I'm here." Brad held her hand tighter, "Does it hurt to breathe?" Magenta nodded, coughing and jerking off the mattress. The mask began to fill with blood,

"OLIVIA!" Brad snapped, "GET IN HERE!" Olivia opened the door,

"Oh God, I thought this might happen..." Olivia gently turned Magenta's head to one side and lifted the mask,

"What're you- You could stop her breathing!"

"It's fine, Majors, she'll be okay-" Olivia put an emesis basin on Magenta's pillow and it quickly filled with blood, Brad gently touched her cheek, it was cold but damp from her tears. Her hair was clinging to her tear-streaked face.

"I'm so sorry. I hope you know how sorry I am."

...

...

Brad's phone rang again while Magenta was sleeping, the pealing almost woke her and he answered the phone as soon as he could,

"Brad Majors."

"Oh, Brad, honey! You answered that crazy telephone contraption! It's tricky, ain't it?"

"Why are you calling? You really couldn't have picked a worse time..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bun, listen, your daddy and I need you to come home. Stevie is going to engage in new-fancy sexual intercourse with his girlfriend, remember Jenny? That nice girl- anyway-"

"Ma, I can't."

"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Busy! What could be more important?"

"Ma, Magenta's sick. Like, really sick, I have to stay with her."

"Brad, this is your baby brother! He's getting laid!"

"Angela, this is my fiancee, she could be dying."

"Brad, please." Brad glanced at Magenta, she was still sleeping, pale and fragile and in terrible pain.

"Fine." Brad half-sobbed. His mother hung up.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Joyce, you look lovely, you're the only woman I know who can pull off a pantsuit, Oh, hello, Linda, oh... new pantsuit? You look ravishing- oh, you brought shrimp... how festive..."<p>

"ANGELA, HOW ARE YOU?"

"Oh Robert!, well, menopausal..."

"Where's Brad and Jonny?"

"Well, Jonny had to go down to the police station to answer some questions today, he was accused of rape, can you believe it? And Brad, well-"

Brad rang the doorbell of his parents' house.

"Oh, that must be him now." The door swung open and Angie appeared in a cloud of Jean Nate and one of those sparkly dresses that are, more often than not, available for purchase at Wal-Mart. The sound of smooth jazz and people talking drifted into the suburban neighbourhood.

"I showed up."

"Oh, now, don't you worry, baby. Those crazy-ass doctors are doing everything they can to make sure she gets better, now come inside, your Aunt Joyce and Uncle Robert are here!"

"No... No, they aren't. Please tell me that-"

"Oh, zip it, Brad, you always enjoy yourself at these functions." Angie shoved a plate of mozzarella slices at a teenage girl, "See, Brad, it's your cousin Lynn, LYNNIE, GET BACK OVER HERE." The girl turned around, Brad turned to face Angie,

"Are we all here because Steve is getting action?"

"Oh no, I was telling a lie. See, this is a faaaaamily reunion! You never like family reunions, but I needed you to come, you don't miss family reunions, it's not nice."

"You know what else isn't nice-"

"Brad, stop it, I understand how you feel, I understand, but will you at least stop whining?" Brad tramped away, only to be sidelined by Steve.

"Hey, Brad!"

"Suck it, Steve."

"I'll suck nothing. What're you so pissed about?"

"Go to hell."

"Oh, hello, Stephanie!" said Angie from across the room, "I'm sorry for my son's behaviour, he's very upset, Brad, get over here and tell Aunt Steph your problems!"

"Run while you can, bro." Steve whispered facetiously, "Aunt Steph is wearing a pantsuit..."

* * *

><p>Magenta was barely awake when Brad got back to the hospital. Nation was sitting on the end of her bed and Kimi was flushing her central line, Brad didn't say anything but sat down next to Nation.<p>

"Is she feeling better?" he asked, Nation looked at him,

"A little, but you have to be quiet, she's almost asleep." Magenta opened her eyes wider and started to sit up, Kimi held her down, Brad held her hand,

"Just rest for now." He brushed one of her beautiful curls out of her face, "I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

...

"Brad... Brad, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up." Brad opened his eyes to see Magenta leaning over him. He could make out a smile behind the oxygen mask, he knew she had her strength back. Kimi smiled from across the room.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"Right there." Magenta whispered, her breathing was still rough and shallow, Brad let her lean into his contact and rubbed her back in slow circles,

**BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP...**

"WHAT THE FUCK-" Brad screamed as Magenta's body started to convulse aggressively,

"Brad-" Kimi snapped, "Don't try to restrain her, she's having a seizure. It's the treatment- Oh God." Kimi collapsed against the wall, "Page Olivia, I think I'm gonna go home sick."

...

"Is that what she said? Going home sick?" Olivia inquired,

"That's what she told me."

"I can't believe Tanaka would do something like that, I mean, I knew she was nuts before, but this is major progress."

Brad had dragged Olivia into a corner of Magenta and Nation's room. Magenta was awake and Nation was bored. Olivia sat next to Nation,

"I need to look at your incision."

Nation rolled her eyes, smirked, and pulled up her hospital gown, showing a deep cut in her abdomen, "Leave me and my incision alone."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little."

Brad's phone rang again.

"I am NOT answering that."

Magenta glanced at the phone.

"It's Steve."

"All the more reason not to answer."

Olivia passed Magenta the phone, "Hello? Hi, Steve. Yeah, he's here. Brad, it's for you." Brad scowled,

"What, Steve? The answer is no, goodbye."

...

Brad had watched Magenta sleep for two hours before Nation kicked him out. She'd had enough of him. Everything about him was insufferable. He was a festival of condescension, intoxication and wishful thinking. It was unbearable. Leukemia patients stick together. Lips had always been a really stupid distraction.

Nation waited a while before paging Olivia. She knew she wasn't supposed to but she wanted somebody to talk to other than having chipper, one-sided conversations with Magenta.

Olivia opened the door,

"Are you okay, McKinley?"

"When can you take her off oxygen?" Olivia looked like she had been slapped in the face. Slapped with a stupid question.

"Nation, she needs to fully recover from her surgery first."

"How long will that take? I mean, if it was _me_ under there-" Nation stopped, "Please tell me she has time."

Olivia smiled, "She has lots of time."

* * *

><p>Brad came back into Magenta's room a few hours after Nation kicked him out. Magenta was awake. Nobody said anything. Brad kissed Magenta in silence and laid down next to her. Nation kept quiet and looked at the floor. Cosmo still wasn't back and Olivia was bitching at her husband on the phone.<p>

Then Magenta coded.

Olivia hung up her phone and snapped into her pager; "Get a crash-cart into Room 8h."

...

_Magenta was floating. Under a starry purple sky, the black waves had become still, her body began to slowly submerge, it was dark at first, then soft lights began to flicker gently, the water arched her back and dragged her farther down. A violent pain hit her chest and she shot to the surface of the water, almost breaking the dark waves, a loud woman's voice made the waves trash convulsively, _

_"SHE'S GOING DOWN, CHARGING TO 400! CLEAR!" the pain came back, Magenta tried to scream but choked on water as her body lurched through the frothing waves, it was thick and salty, more dense than seawater. Like blood. Magenta could hear Brad's devastated sobs and a loud beeping, Magenta choked hard again on the thick bloody substance, the voice repeated that ambiguous phrase again and Magenta felt cold air and water beading off her face as the water parted like a scar and the sky consumed her. She was falling... she was falling...UP! Plummeting through the clouds, she saw a bright light, was it heaven...? Kimi was in the purple-black marbled clouds... Kimi was God! The pain came back, Magenta succeeded in screaming, suddenly she saw the bright lights of a hospital room and instead of water, her head fell hard into a soft pillow..._

_..._

"She's stable." Kimi leapt back, Brad collapsed against the wall as Magenta violently coughed herself awake,

"Take the oxygen mask off, she's going to choke."

"How do you expect her to breathe without oxygen?"

"Just trust me, Kimi!" Kimi pulled the mask off and emptied the blood into an emesis basin. Magenta gasped and Olivia lifted her upright. Blood continued to soak the sheets and Magenta dug her nails into Olivia's hand,

"What's happening...?" Brad choked,

"This is normal, the surgery paired with the treatment brought this on."

"This never happens... She just coded, she was dead for two minutes!"

"BRAD, PLEASE!" Olivia shouted, "Just... settle down... for, like, one second..." Magenta stopped coughing and fell back against the mattress. "Alright, Tanaka, put her back on oxygen." Kimi replaced the mask and stroked Magenta's hair, "Brad, if you could come with me..." Brad followed Olivia into the hallway,

"What is it now?"

"I'm going to discharge Magenta. I'm having Kimi take care of her at Cosmo and Nation's house."

"Are you sure that'll be okay?"

"It'll be fine, Kimi has me on speed dial. And that girl carries a defibrillator in her purse."

"So _that's_ why it's so huge..."

"Brad, I need you to do whatever it takes."

"What?"

"Magenta is dying, her health has been on a downward spiral for the last while, she wants to stay strong for you, I know that for a fact. I also know she's equally as scared as you, she doesn't want to die, nobody in her position does. We're doing everything, but you need to do your part too, alright?"

Brad felt a tear run down his face.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the house at about 9 pm. Nation eventually just took Magenta back to her room to rest. Brad didn't want to wake her. He'd seen how bad it had gotten just a few hours earlier. For the moment, Magenta was sleeping lightly, leaning on Nation's shoulder, Nation had both arms around her waist,<p>

"Nation, you can go now, I'm fine to stay with her."  
>"No, it's fine." Nation lay Magenta down, "Just go to sleep."<br>"No freakin' way, you need to rest, your room is right there. Go." Nation reluctantly stood up and left, Brad sat down where she had been, Magenta rested her head in his lap and exhaled weakly. He bent over and kissed the top of her head.  
>"It's okay. I'm here." Brad slid his hand under her face and gently turned it sideways.<p>

Her cheeks were flushed red and beaded with sweat and tears. Her forehead was burning up. Brad found himself shouting for Kimi subconsciously, Kimi poked her head into the room.

"Do you need anything?" she looked at Magenta and frowned, sitting next to her and pulling the collar of her sweater back, "Brad, get me an ice pack and a towel, okay? Just over there." Kimi pointed to an icebox in a corner. Brad slid Magenta off his lap and handed Kimi the icebox.

Brad's POV.  
>Kimi is the reason Magenta is alive. The doctors have done their part, but the nurses actually help. They know what to do when Magenta is shaking with such a high fever that she has to be bathed in ice, they know how to stop bleeding, remove bloodstains from clothes and essentially everything else. The doctors come up with the battle strategies but the nurses are the ones on the front line.<p>

Magenta is laying still in cold bathwater to bring her body temperature down. Kimi won't let me in. I stopped banging on the door five minutes ago, finally Kimi opens the door,

"She has a high fever, she just threw up and I need you to take care of her tonight. Whatever you do, don't give her anything, cough suppressants will undoubtedly kill her, anything else would just be awful. She'll be coughing hard and it'll hurt, but that's good because we need her to cough, that's how we know her lungs are working properly." Kimi turns around, Magenta is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Her black bra is undone at the back, she looks up,

"I just threw up." she breathes, staring at me with tears in her beautiful eyes,

"I know, baby," I lift her up and carry her back to bed, "You're okay now, I'll stay with you." I lay her down and cover her with the thin sheets, they cling to her damp skin, I lay down next to her and she starts to fall asleep. Kimi leaves before either of us notice.

Third Person.  
>Cosmo found Columbia in the kitchen, staring, confused as hell, into a bowl of pancake batter.<p>

"This is new." he broke the awkward silence, "Brad usually makes- It doesn't matter..."  
>Columbia turned around, there was batter in her hair,<p>

"Well, Magenta had a rough night last night and he has to stay with her, so... You know."

"Shit, what happened?"

"I think the treatment just fucked her up a little bit. What's got you up so early?"

"Nat. I'm just getting her medication."

"You're sweet!"  
>Cosmo smiled,<p>

Columbia kissed him.

Nation conveniently chose that moment to walk in. Cosmo pulled back and Columbia blushed a deep reddish orange.

"How could you-"

"Nat, baby, I can explain. Actually, I can't, but if you listen to me-"

"Go straight to hell." Nation snapped, she left before anyone could say anything.

Brad opened his eyes, Magenta was pressed against his chest, her red curls were tangled. He gently patted her back.

"Magenta, wake up, come on, wake up, baby." Magenta moaned and shifted,

"I'm too tired. Just come back to sleep, come back to me." she weakly held out her arms, Brad tucked her in a little more and laid down, Magenta fell back asleep the second he embraced her.

Brad got out of bed as soon as she was settled down and found Columbia in the kitchen, she was sobbing into a slice of banana bread.

"Are you okay?"

"No." she looked up, "I kissed Cosmo."

"What, did Nation catch you or something? Or did _he_ kiss _you_?" Brad giggled boyishly and Columbia smacked him in the arm,

"Shut up Brad! Get your ass back upstairs and take advantage of Magenta's vulnerability."

"Okay, Kimi's with her. And I'm not taking advant-"

"Did you have sex last night."

"No."

"The night before?"

"Well... Yes." Columbia sat down at the kitchen counter,

"Can you please bring Magenta down here, I wanna talk to her."

"She's sleeping. She's so tired..."

"She can rest down here, get her down here." Brad groaned and stood up. Columbia heard hushed voices upstairs and Brad carried Magenta downstairs in a bundle of sheets, he sat her on the couch. Columbia sat down next to her and smoothed the hair out of her face, Brad pulled her closer.

"Columbia... What do you... want...?"

"I kissed Cosmo."

"I can't...help with that... I'm sorry..." Magenta ran a hand through her sweaty curls, "Nation is...absolutely fucking terrible...at holding grudges... It'll blow over."

"Oh, okay." Columbia's knee started to bounce violently. She held it still. "Okay, I'm gonna go throw up now..."

Columbia was halfway up the stairs when Kimi shoved her out of the way.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"No, it's fine, is Nation up there?"

"Yes. So I hear you and Cosmo got busy!"

"No, I kissed him, that's it."

"Oh." Kimi looked down, "What a buzzkill that was!" Columbia shot her a dangerous look and she scurried downstairs like a squirrel. Columbia ran harder, she heard Nation and Cosmo arguing in their room,

"I can't believe you KISSED HER!"

"Nat, _she_ kissed ME!"

"How am I supposed to believe you, for all I know, she's your midlife crisis!"

"Nat, I'm 26."

"That doesn't change the fact that you've already found a replacement!"

"Don't talk like that, she's not a replacement, she's on the rebound, and you're jumping to conclusions!"

"You may not know this, but I'm probably dying, you might want to wait to find someone else until after I'm dead."

"Nat-"

"Is it because of the hysterectomy? Because if it is, I don't have to have treatment, you can let the cancer slowly destroy me if that's easier for your love-life, I get it! I don't-" Nation's voice trailed off as she quickly passed out. Cosmo opened the door and Columbia hid in Brad and Magenta's room.

"I see you, Columbia."

"Shit. Well, there aren't many places to hide in this..." Columbia glanced around the huge second floor (out of the four including the roof,), "Mouse house."

"Mouse house?"

"Like a place where mice live, you know, 'cuz they're little..."

"So, me and Nat are mice?"

"Sure..."

"I think I'd rather be a goldfish. Because they have a memory of, like, two seconds."

"You still wouldn't have hair." Columbia chided, Cosmo smirked. The awkward moment was cut short when Nation opened her bedroom door with a heavy nosebleed.

* * *

><p><em>Sonja's POV. April 2003<em>

_Magenta is staying with the McKinleys until Jerome and I get the house fixed up, in the middle of tidying up her room, I get a call from the principal of Rayne's school. _

_The metal sodium is stored in the science lab at the high school in little containers of oil because of its volatile reaction to air, it's also water-reactive, creating hydrogen and heat, apparently, my 16 year old is bright enough to realize this, which is why he stole the sample and flushed it down a toilet and blew up the school septic tank. _

_He is suspended for three weeks and the drive back to pick Magenta up is almost silent._

_"Needless to say, you're grounded."_

_"Whatever."_

_"For a year." _

_If it's possible, the kid looks even more pissed, I wonder when exactly I gave up on him, when his history isn't nearly as disappointing as his sister's. _

_"The principal's a dick."_

_"You know what, Rayne, the world's full of them. You'll always be up against someone, something, like your sister-"_

_"Fuck." he glares at me, "We could be talking about the freaking Red Sox and you could turn that conversation back to Magenta." _

_"We're all pretty gifted at that. Were you blowing up a septic tank for any other reason?"_

_"If your sister was dying of leukemia you'd blow something up, too." _ _I snap my head sideways to face the kid, _

_"My daughter. My daughter is dying of leukemia. My daughter."_

_"I heard you the first ninety times, for chrissake." I pull over._

_"Get out. You're walking home, young man."_

_"You're full of shit, it's seven blocks!"_

_"And you're fifteen, you won't have a heart attack from walking. It's April, now march." I shove him out and turn the car around. Rayne never carries a key and I'm taking the long way home. _  
><em>...<em>

_I bring Magenta and Nation home in the car, they're having a sleepover tonight. The girls run downstairs to watch TV and Rayne walks right in the front door, which I stupidly left unlocked,_

_"Shoes off."_

_"Screw you." he stalks downstairs and I hear Magenta and Nation yelling, they come running upstairs, _

_"RAYNE TRIED TO KILL US!" Magenta is shrieking, I'm pretty sure Nation is about ready to pass out, _

_"I'm sure he didn't-" _

_"YOU'RE IN DENIAL!" Magenta is freaking out, "HE WAS ABOUT TO HACK US WITH A MACHETE!"_

_"Nat, is this true?"_

_"It actually is. He seemed pretty pissed." _

_"I'm gonna teach that kid a lesson..." I gripe as I run downstairs, Rayne is watching TV. "YOU ARE DEEP TROUBLE, YOUNG MAN!"_

_"Shut up." _

_"First, you blow up a septic tank, then you terrorize your sister and her friend."_

_"Nation isn't her friend. She's her baby-sitter." _

_"I've had just about enough of you, Rayne. You are going to go upstairs and apologize to your sister."_

_"No fuckin' way."_

_"Watch your mouth." the girls peek over the banister, I swear I hear Magenta and/or Nation laughing. Rayne flips me off and runs upstairs, pausing for a second to slap Magenta on the ass._


	13. What A Difference A Day Makes

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 11. What a Difference a Day Makes.**

**YAY! Brad and Magenta are finally tying the knot now that Magenta is doing better, but how long will it last? What will Magenta wear for the big day? More importantly, what are the bridesmaids going to be wearing? Oh shit... All your questions deserve answers, so keep reading! Also, Magenta's birthday is coming up, so that will be very interesting! Oh and BTW, the song that Magenta is singing to Sonny is called Aloha Oe, it's an old-ass Hawaiian song by Lili'uokalani (the last queen of Hawaii) look it up online to find out the reason why I chose this song above others. And I chose the Olive Garden for Brad and Magenta's date night because that restaurant is a kick-ass place.**

**Also, I'm letting Columbia's stupid accent drop, it was too stressful to have to type out...**

**And also thanks to Ninety-Six Smiles, she helped out a lot with this chapter.**

**Lastly, me and Magenta have the same birthday! yay! Just trying to adhere to at least some of the rules in the School Days/Sins/Deleted Scenes universe, although it's a creepy place...**

* * *

><p>Nation was brought to the hospital when her nosebleed intensified, Brad brought Magenta back to the car to sleep while she was being looked at. He wished he could. He jumped violently when Cosmo, Nation and Columbia appeared outside the window of the car, Magenta stirred in the backseat and Brad opened the door,<p>

"What happened, Nat, are you okay?"

"It was just the treatment." Nation whispered, "I just... I..." her voice broke as she collapsed and Cosmo caught her, Columbia looked down and Brad caught a fleeting glance of a tear as it fell from her right eye and glittered like a coin to the cement of the parking lot, Magenta sat up in the backseat and Brad felt an unnerving sensation of stupidity. He'd been told to keep her on oxygen at night and when she was sleeping. Olivia was going to beat the living crap out of him.

"Nat, you're- is she okay, Cosmo?"

"She's fine. She's just tired." Cosmo sat Nation in the front seat and sat next to Magenta. Brad had just started to drive away before Magenta started to cough.

* * *

><p>Olivia got a bed for Magenta as soon as one opened up. Sonja was making a phone call when Brad was allowed in. Magenta was on a blood transfusion and Olivia given her a sedative to get her to sleep. Sonja hung up and turned around,<p>

"Good news, our doctor from back home in Denton is in town and she's agreed to treat Magenta. She's a wonderful doctor, mostly does pediatric oncology, but she can definitely be flexible." Olivia and Kimi came into the room, followed by Cosmo, Columbia and Nation. Nation sat down and held her forehead, Cosmo sat next to her and Columbia planted her ass on the windowseat.

"Sonja," said Olivia, "There's a woman outside who claims to be a Gabriella Stevenson... Dr Stevenson..."

"That's her." Brad followed Sonja into the hallway, a tall middle-aged woman was standing there,

"SONJA ALVARADO!"

"GABY!"

"How's my little girl doing? You told me she had lung surgery...?"

"Yes she did, she's sleeping now, um, Brad, this is Gabriella Stevenson, Gaby, this is Brad, Magenta's fiancee."

"Oh, you're adorable, I see my baby has very nice taste in men!"

"Well, uh, I personally think I'm the one with good taste, Magenta's wonderful."

"Oh, I know. She's a wonderful girl. It's just so sad that the only reason she came into my life was because she was so sick."

"I know how you feel. We met at this hospital."

"Oh God, are you sick?"

"Oh, no, my brother used to work here." at the mention of Jonathan, Brad felt a resentful chill run through his body.

"Okay, so, I think I should go see Magenta now." Dr Stevenson went into Magenta's room and gently shook her awake. Brad cringed and butted in,

"Dr. Stevenson, I don't think that's such a good idea, this is a hospital, not a sleepover with a bunch of ten year olds."

"I know it's a hospital, but Magenta needs to wake up. I always used to wake her up, she's perfectly fine."

"NO SHE'S NOT! SHE'S IN A GODDAMN HOSPITAL! IN WHAT UNIVERSE IS THAT FINE?"

Gabriella glared at Brad, "In my universe. Don't question my methods, Sweetcheeks." Magenta started to sit up and rub her eyes, Brad held a hand behind her back and Gabriella smirked, "So freakin' charming."

Magenta's eyes were falling shut, "Who the hell are you..." she inquired hazily,

"You don't remember me? Magenta, I'm Dr. Gabriella Stevenson, I've been treating you since you were four years old, how old are you now?"

"I'm... I'm... don't know..."

"She'll be 23 on the 30th." Sonja whispered,

"Poor baby, the anesthetics really messed you up, didn't they?" Gabriella turned to Sonja and Olivia, who had just come into the room, "She's really drugged up, maybe I should come back later, I'll go change, I brought my own scrubs from Denton."

"Okay." said Olivia, "We'll page you when she's levelled out."

Gabriella smiled and left the room. Magenta's eyes started to cloud with tears,

"What's wrong with her?" Sonja squealed,

"It's okay, Sonja," Olivia whispered, "This happens when she's drugged up like this, it's easy to fix." Brad sat next to her and she leaned on him, "Once she stops crying, she'll be more lucid." Magenta whimpered and buried her face deeper into Brad's chest, he patted her back, then laid her back down and covered her with her sheets, the tears stopped falling.

"Page Gabriella."

"Gabriella Stevenson?" Magenta asked, "As in... Gabriella Stevenson?"

"Wow, she's lucid, it worked!" Gabriella opened the door,

"There you go, baby girl."

"Dr. Stevenson, I didn't know you were still practicing."

"Magenta, you can call me Gabriella now, you're grown up now, we should be on a first-name-basis."

Magenta smiled, "You're just like how I remember." Frank walked in,

"Hey, bitches, WOW! HOT DOCTOR!" Frank glided over to Gabriella, "I'm Frank... Frank Furter."

"You're a sausage? You don't look like a sausage... unless your name is a metaphor for your... uh... hee hee... I'm a pediatrician, I'm a kid at heart!"

"Well, you're free to give _me_ a physical anytime!"

"I'm old enough to be your mother, sweetie."

"Yeah, and I have a girlfriend, she just made it into remission and I just bought her a kitten... so, yeah."

Gabriella turned to Magenta, "Okay, baby, I have to talk to Brad and Dr. Anderson and your mom for a minute, so Sausage here is going to stay with you."

Magenta smiled and Gabriella pulled Brad, Olivia, Columbia, Cosmo, Nation and Sonja into the hallway.

"Okay." Gabriella began, "So you three know that Magenta is very, _very_ sick, she's incredibly sick. The reason I'm here is to make her not sick. Because I've been treating her for almost nineteen years, I know what kind of treatment her body _won't_ reject, I know what to do for her, I'm going to save her. Olivia, I need to ask you a few questions, what treatment is Magenta on?"

"I have her on extensive treatment, uh, chemo, radiation and IL-2."

"You're good, and how's she been recently?"

"Really bad, she almost died on a few occasions, she's coded a few times and her condition has grown steadily worse over the past while."

"Oh, gosh... Okay..."

* * *

><p>Frank and Magenta sat in silence until Frank started to take off his clothes,<p>

"OH, CRAP! FRANK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"Strip tease."

"WHY?"

"Remember... when you used to get laid up at the castle, and I had to entertain you 'cause you had to stay in bed, and you always liked when I did strip teases for you!"

"That was before I was in a relationship! Frank, I'm engaged! PUT YOUR SKIRT BACK ON!" Magenta covered her eyes,

"Yeah, but you know how sometimes guys... like, before they get married always go to, like, strip clubs and stuff...? What's the difference?"

"But Fraaaaaaaaaaank-" Magenta started coughing.

"Fine! I'll stop!" Frank put his shirt back on. Magenta didn't stop coughing, "Are you okay?" Blood splattered over Frank's clothes, he stood up and opened the door.

"DR. STEVENSON, I NEED HELP!"

Sausage, honey, what's wrong?"

"Something's wrong with Magenta, something's wrong, I need you." Gabriella glanced into the window in Magenta's door,

"OH SHIT!" she flung the door open, Sonja followed her into the room with Frank close behind. Brad froze.

Hiring another doctor wasn't doing any noticeable good so far.

...

_Sonja's POV. 1995._

_Today, me and Jerome are at the hospital sticking needles in fruit. Yes, fruit. We need to practice, apparently. There are a whole assload of shots that Magenta is going to need while she's going through treatment to make it less apparent. Growth factor shots are predominant._

_I'm going to have to stick these in her leg until her neutrophil tops one-thousand. This is so she'll grow. The shots aren't sure-fire but I'm willing to take a chance if my kid doesn't want to be 4'2 at the age of ten. And that's why I'm drugging an orange. Of course, the orange doesn't _scream_ when I stick it wrong._

_Jerome picks up an orange from another batch and starts to peel it, I snatch it back._

_"Hey! I'm hungry!"_

_"And that's someone else's! God only knows what it's doped up with!" I hand him a safe apple. "Here."_

_"Delicious." he takes a bite and immediately horks it into his hand. "Tastes like wet sawdust, how do they expect people to eat this damn hospital fruit?"_

_"Well, most of the people here are semi-lucid anyway." Just as I'm saying this, the kids run into the room, Magenta picks up a pear that I was about to inject and takes a chunk out of it, Rayne pulls five bucks out of Jerome's pocket,_

_"Hey, kid, pickpocketing much?"_

_"Dad, I want money."_

_"You already took five dollars!"_

_"Okay... Cool. It's like I'm psychic."_

* * *

><p>Olivia and Kimi sat quietly in the locker room for about two hours before Kimi broke the silence.<p>

"So how 'bout Dr. Stevenson? She's working here now, just for Magenta."

"It's so weird. She's such a nut-bag. I hate her! She's clearly insane, I mean, how old is she? She's a fuckin' dinosaur!"

"Olivia, she's only 42!"

Olivia slammed her head against her locker, "I have the most depressing job in the world."

...

Cosmo, Nation and Columbia showed up within minutes of Brad calling them. Nation and Columbia were in Magenta's room, she was choking on blood. Brad sat next to her and took hold of her hand, Nation tilted her bed upwards and a few streams of blood ran out of her mouth,

"How's she been?"

"She's in a lot of pain, Dr. Stevenson had to pump her full of morphine to get it to go down to a six."

Magenta dug her nails into Brad's wrist, he shuddered as Columbia pried her hand off, Gabriella came into the room,

"How's my sweet girl doing?"

"She's not quite lucid yet, she's still in a lot of pain and we're going to have to either push morphine or get her to sleep." said Olivia from out of nowhere.

"Dr. Anderson, do you have a diagnosis?"

"Post-surgery complications. She's bleeding into her right lung."

"WHAT?" Brad screamed,

"Sit down, Majors, we need to do MV, that's where you come in." Brad shoved the tube in his mouth and Olivia placed the mask over Magenta's mouth, she opened her eyes wider and weakly lifted her left hand, Brad inhaled, drawing blood from her lungs.

* * *

><p><em>Sonja's POV. November 1999.<em>

_The kids come into the living room in the most ridiculous get-ups I've ever seen in my life. Rayne is in a dress that my mother gave me last year that pretty much resembles a huge grape and Magenta wearing about five jackets, snowpants on her head and a pair of Jerome's tennis shoes._

_"Mommy?"_

_"Yes, Rayne?"_

_"What's 'elbow-fuck'?" Magenta gasps and jumps back, _

_"RAYNE! YOU SAID A CURSE-WORD!"_

_"That's what I was thinking..."_

_"Well, what is it?"_

_"It's... something you'll learn about when you're grown up."_

_"But I wanna know NOW!"_

_"It's something that weird people do."_

* * *

><p>Olivia eventually pulled Brad aside while Magenta was asleep,<p>

"We need to operate on her lung because of the complications, it's not a very strenuous surgery, and the recovery time is only a few days provided the operation goes smoothly, but don't worry, she'll be in very good hands."

"Whose hands?" Brad asked nervously. Olivia raised an eyebrow,

"Mine, Majors!"

"Oh... sorry..."

"No offense taken. I'm actually going to be doing the surgery probably tomorrow, we need to get it done, we're going to have to drain her lungs overnight, which will mean she'll be losing blood, so we'll need to use probably about two transfusions in that time-slot, however, we still have to be careful."

"Is this going to affect her breathing?"

"No. She'll be fine." Brad exhaled heavily, Olivia rolled her eyes, "You're a drama queen, Majors."

Sonja walked into the room in heels that looked like torture devices and a skirt that was completely inappropriate for a woman of her age,

"Olivia, is she doing better?"

"She's sleeping, I was telling Brad about the surgery." Sonja stumbled a little in her insane heels,

"When can she wake up?"

"We'll have to let it happen, I'd give it about another half hour."

"Okay... alright..." Sonja ran out of the room, Brad smirked,

"That was just weird..."

"You shouldn't say that, Majors." Olivia whispered, "You don't know how she feels..."

"Of course I know how she feels."

"How can you? Magenta isn't your daughter, imagine if Magenta wasn't sick, and the two of you had just had a baby girl, your second child, and on the day after her second birthday she was diagnosed with an unusually aggressive form of blood cancer. Sonja gave everything to provide for Magenta, she tried so hard. And after she'd given everything she had, she still didn't feel that it was enough. And I know that's how you feel."

"I'll do anything for Magenta. If she dies, it'll kill me."

Magenta coughed violently and began to wake up, Brad sat next to her bedside and held out his arms as she leaned into his contact.

"Is my mom here?" she whispered,

"She just left, baby, but she'll be coming back soon."

Magenta looked down, "I know about the surgery. My dad doesn't want me to go through with it, he thinks it'll hurt me too much."

"That's ridiculous." Brad stood up and ran down the hall, Jerome was standing at a pay phone having a loud and seemingly sexual conversation with Sonja, who was on her cell phone a few feet away. Jerome spotted Brad and hung up, Sonja went into Magenta's room,

"Hey, Brad, she feel any better?"

"Magenta told me what you said, about the surgery."

"Look, son, I know my daughter, I know what's best for her, I know what she needs."

"What she needs is treatment, she won't get any better without treatment."

"Brad, treatment is too strenuous. We don't need her getting sicker and we certainly don't need any more post-surgery complications."

"I think I know what she needs. This is a full-time occupation for me. You have a life, I don't have that luxury, she _is_ my life. And I'm willing to do whatever the hell it takes." Brad ran back into Magenta's room, Sonja was sitting next to her bed handing her bridal magazines,

"Mom, please, these are tacky."

"But you look so lovely in white, you look so pretty right now!"

"This is a hospital gown!"

"But you look lovely in it!"

"Mom, please." Magenta held her head in her hands, Brad sat next to her,

"You feel better?"

"No." Magenta whined, burying her face in Brad's shoulder, "Whenever I breathe it makes the most disgusting noise." Magenta leaned her head back and exhaled heavily, "I feel sick."

"You need to rest, alright?" Brad placed the clear oxygen mask over her mouth and lay her down, "You're coming so close. You need everything you can get."

* * *

><p>Olivia eventually made Brad leave before a radiation session, he came back about an hour later, Magenta was half-asleep.<p>

"What happened while I was gone, is she okay?"

"She's fine for now, the radiation really knocked her out, though."

"When do you think she'll be okay to leave? I was thinking of taking her out to take her mind off of everything."

"Brad, she's having surgery tomorrow. You're going to have to wait." Brad sat down and glanced at the calendar on his phone. April 27th. It was too close.

"Do you think after the surgery, maybe if she's up for it-"

"Fine, I'm sure I can discharge her for the day if you really feel the need to take her out, I mean, you _are_ a couple, after all, you need to go on pointless dates to keep your relationship alive, I know, I realize that, but I need to do this surgery to keep Magenta alive, so if you don't mind, you may have to wait to go... paint the town beige."

"I think it's red."

"No, with you there, it'll be beige." Olivia held an ice pack against the slit in Magenta's chest where her central line entered. "Have you ever considered seeing a therapist?"

"Why?"

"Brad, this can be very hard for a couple, if you were sick, I'm sure Magenta would see a therapist."

"I'm fine, Olivia."

"I'll give you her number just in case." Olivia handed Brad a slip of paper.

_Moeno Tanaka. 555-7293. _

"Kimi's older sister. She's wonderful."

...

While Magenta was in surgery, Brad found himself on Moeno Tanaka's couch. She was about 30, more mature than Kimi, and her room smelled like oranges and vanilla.

"So why are you here today, Brad, I understand you've met Kimiko, she's training to be a nurse."

"That's partly why I'm here, see, Kimi is my fiancee's nurse."

"What's your fiancee like?"

"I have a picture." Brad handed Moeno a picture of Magenta out of his wallet. It was a picture Nation had taken in the middle of a chemo session, Moeno looked hard at the picture,

"What's her diagnosis?"

"Leukemia."

"That must be hard. How do you think it has affected your relationship?"

"Well, I'm mainly here because I can't sleep."

"At all?"

"Barely."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I really don't know." Moeno handed the picture back.

"Do you sleep with her at night?

"When I can."

"Do you have sex frequently?"

"We can't."

"And why is that? Does the cancer affect the sex?"

Brad froze, "It's because of the way she bleeds when I... you know, and the bruises get too bad."

"What's the last thing you think about each night before you go to sleep?"

Brad choked back a sob, "How I can make the next day better for her."

Moeno smiled, "You're a loving man. Magenta's very lucky to have you."

"Wait, I never told you her name...?"

"Kimi talks about her 24/7. How beautiful she is, how nice she is, everything. No wonder you want to improve her quality of life." Moeno smirked, "From now on, think about this in the daytime, then at night, you'll be able to sleep." Moeno smiled again, "Now go be with her, Kimi told me her surgery would be over by 4:00. It's 4:30."

Brad stood up and left the room.

* * *

><p>Kimi tracked Brad down.<p>

"I heard you went to see my sister. For answers. She's a really good crazy-doctor, so I don't know why you wouldn't."

"Did you just say _crazy-doctor_?"

"Fine, therapist. What did that crazy bitch say about me?"

"Good things."

"Nothing concerning my... _sexuality_?"

"No, why?"

"I... buurrrrrraaaaaaggghhhhhhhhh..."

"What the hell did you say?"

"Nothing sir, just a weird noise." Kimi ran away down the hall and Olivia came over,

"What in the hell was that all about?"

"I have no clue, I think Kimi just came out to me in her own weird way."

"Yeah, she didn't want you to know about that. Magenta knows, so does Columbia, Sonny and Frank, Sonja, Jerome, Elanna Kane, Magenta's estranged aunt who visited her for ten minutes when she was passed out, and... ummm, the hematologist with the pink hair who likes to eat her own nails."

"And not me?"

"She thinks it'll freak you out, like, you won't like her touching Magenta, partly because of what happened with Jonathan."

"I don't have any problem with that. I know there's nothing sexual happening. Now aren't you going to tell me about the surgery?"

"Oh, yes, it went nicely, she's awake, she's lucid and she's been asking about you." Brad opened his mouth and Olivia stopped him, "And yes, she'll be okay to go out with you by the 30th. I'll take you to her now." Olivia smiled and led Brad to a small glass room, Nation was wrapping Magenta in blankets and Sonny was sitting quietly.

"There you are, baby." Brad whispered, sitting down next to her, she lay her head in his lap and her oxygen mask shifted, "I was so worried about you."

"Mmm..." Magenta whispered, taking off the mask, "While I was under, I had a dream about you, about us..." her voice was raspy and hushed, like it hurt whenever she spoke, "And I dreamt that I didn't have to leave."

"You don't have to leave, you're not going anywhere."

"Brad, you need to listen to me, Olivia did this procedure so I could die painlessly, I know I'm feeling a lot better, but it's all last strength. I'm on my way out, okay?" Sonny stood up surprisingly fast and ran out of the room.

"MY GOD!" Nation screamed, "Sonny!"

Magenta sat up slowly and held her head in her hands, "Oh no, this has never happened, not in, like, six years... Since he was diagnosed."

"Diagnosed?"

"Brad, Sonny has mild Aspergers."

"Like, autism?"

Magenta nodded, "He's sensitive, especially about me. I've been with him as long as he can remember because I was the only person who knew what it was like to be scrutinized the way he was. I partially raised him. Nat, go get him, I need to talk to him, Brad, you're going to have to leave, I'm sorry, baby, I need to see Sonny alone for a while." Nation stood up and Brad kissed Magenta lightly as he left.

...

Sonny came back into Magenta's room about five minutes later,

"Hi, baby, come here." Magenta patted the mattress and moved over in bed, Sonny sat down. The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"Please don't die."

"Sonny, look at me, baby, I'm really sick, you knew this was how it was going to turn out." Magenta turned Sonny's head to face her, "You know I can't live forever."

"You can't die, I need you-"

"I don't want to have to leave you, I'm as scared as you are." Sonny lay down,

"Why do you have to be sick?"

Magenta smiled and moved closer to Sonny,

_"Aloha 'oe, aloha 'oe,_

_I ke onaona noho_

_i ka lipo._

_One fond embrace_

_aho'ea au_

_until we meet again."_

A few of Sonny's dark tears ran onto the pillow,

"You used to sing that song when I was little. Neither of us knew what the lyrics meant, I still don't. I can't make it without you"

"No, baby, no, you'll be okay. I know that. You're a smart boy, you have people who love you, you have a girlfriend who loves you. Everything is going to work out for you, I promise." Sonny was quiet for a few seconds, "Would you like to sleep here with me tonight?" Sonny nodded, "Okay, baby. I love you."

"I love you too."

...

Brad came back into Magenta's room after a while. Sonny was sleeping next to her and Nation was reading a magazine.

"Is he okay?"

Magenta sat up, "Don't wake him, please, he's out, let's keep it that way." she ran a hand under her nose, leaving glistening red tracks down her white skin.

"You're bleeding-"

"I know, I've been bleeding for the past few hours." Magenta dabbed her hand with a Kleenex and started tearing up, "It just hurts so much, I feel helpless. I can't do it anymore!" Magenta started sobbing harder into her hands, Brad lifted her out of bed, the IV beeped,

"Shut up." Brad told it.

"Are you talking to my-"

"Yes, I am." Brad sat down on the windowseat, Nation glanced over and smiled, "You're gonna make it, you're not helpless, you're gonna make it and I'll be right here." Magenta's eyes began to fall shut,

"And by the way..." she whispered, "We can't get married in the church where I was born. It's in Denton."

* * *

><p>Frank took Sonny shopping the next morning to distract him. Magenta's body spiked a fever of 103 and Nation's bleeding got heavier. Olivia took Magenta to be looked at and Nation was slowly losing her filter.<p>

"BRAD! WIPE THAT STUPID EXPRESSION OFF YOUR FACE, YOU'RE ALL PISSED ABOUT MAGENTA HAVING A STUPID COLD WHEN I HAVE BLOOD COMING OUT OF MY VIRGINIA!"

"Please don't go there."

"GO WHERE? WHERE AM I GOING? DOES IT BOTHER YOU? 'CAUSE GUESS WHAT BOTHERS ME!"

"What, Virginial bleeding?"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

"Brad, she's ready to see you."

"Thank you."

"GET OUTTA MY ROOM, YOU ASSHOLE!"

Olivia brought Brad out into the hallway, Magenta was waiting there with an ice pack on her forehead,

"How are you, baby, what's wrong?" Olivia wiped some sweat off Magenta's face,

"She has a bad infection, most likely brought on by an IV or transfusion. It's treatable, but because of her diminished immune system, it's going to be hard for her body to recover on it's own, so we'll need more aggressive treatment. But it's fixable. We'll have to shift her medication."

"So it's a staph infection."

"Not exactly. It's a little different. Magenta, open your mouth." Olivia shoved a thermometer into Magenta's mouth, waited a few seconds before it beeped and glanced at it, "Your fever's down to 101.5, still not low enough, let's give it a while, push fluids." Magenta moaned and covered her face with the sheets, eventually drawing them back and turning white. The coughing started up again, Olivia held an emesis basin under her mouth,

"This is more blood than usual."

"SHUT UP BRAD!" Olivia snapped, gently turning Magenta's head to the side as she coughed harder, "Okay, you're okay, Brad, go get Dr. Stevenson." Brad ran away down the hall to the elevator that would take him to the pediatric department. Olivia held Magenta's hand,

"Mm- Something hurts-"

"I know, you need some more morphine, and something to bring your fever down."

"OH GOD!"

"What is it, what's hurting?" Magenta touched her lower back, "Describe it for me."

"I don't really- FUCK!"

"Ssh, ssh, I NEED MORPHINE! SOMEONE GET ME MORPHINE!" A nurse handed Olivia a syringe, "I'LL NEED A BAG! GOD, I HATE NURSES!" Magenta coughed again, harder this time, a chunk of congealed blood fell into the basin,

"That's disgusting..." she whispered,

Olivia injected the morphine into Magenta's wrist and her eyes softened, Brad came back with Gabriella,

"Okay, baby girl, what's wrong?"

"She's been coughing up blood, more than usual, this isn't a side effect of the surgery, I gave her a shot of morphine for lower back pain-"

"Did you examine the area?"

"No, but-"

"Then you shouldn't have given her morphine."

"She was in a lot of pain! I was just trying to help!"

"Dr. Anderson, this is NOT a hospice, we're not focusing on palliative care-" Gabriella was cut off as Magenta vomited about another quart of blood, "Well, this basin is full. Find another, Olivia."

"I AM NOT A NURSE!"

"Run along, pipsqueak." Olivia stood in place and glowered, "Shoo! Shoo!" Olivia ran away down the hall, Magenta screamed again, "OLIVIA, COME BACK, I'M GOING TO TAKE HER TO CT!"

* * *

><p>"Oh shit." Gabriella whispered,<p>

"What?" Olivia whispered back,

"Her kidneys."

"What about them?"

"Wasn't she in kidney failure in... around November? And that Sausage kid, Sonny's brother, gave her her transplant?"

"Yes... What about it?" Gabriella turned to Olivia,

"Dr. Anderson, Magenta is in kidney failure again."

"AGAIN? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?"

"The leukemia caused it, it'll do that."

"How the hell am I going to break it to Brad... he'll kill himself, and if we tell Magenta, she'll stop wanting to recover, she'll undoubtedly lose her will to live if she hasn't lost it already. And how are we going to find another kidney... we can't take one from Frank, he only has one left..."

"What about Brad? If his blood type is compatible with hers it could be like an engagement gift... a live-saving, blood-cleaning wedding present."

"What's his blood type?"

"Don't know." Gabriella twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, "Get her out of there. We start dialysis on the 2nd." Olivia opened the door to the room which held the CT scanner and sat Magenta in a wheelchair, finally exiting the room. Gabriella slammed her head against the screen which displayed the scans of Magenta's deteriorating kidneys.

If she didn't do something, her baby girl was going to die. And it was going to be her fault for not finding a kidney.

* * *

><p>Gabriella opened the door to Magenta's room after she'd gotten herself together. Olivia was laying Magenta down and Brad was wiping blood off her mouth, Kimi was replacing her IV, Columbia, Cosmo and Nation were being quiet and submissive and Frank was on his phone in a corner. The sun was beginning to go down, the end of the 29th.<p>

"Dr. Stevenson, what did the scans show?" Brad questioned,

"That's to be determined." Gabriella lied, Olivia looked down, "Baby girl, you just have to rest for now, push fluids and we'll get you the results as soon as possible. Do you need anything?"

"It's fine." Magenta whispered, "I'm just tired."

Gabriella turned to Brad, "I can set up a bed for you in here if you'd like."

"Could you?"

Gabriella smiled, "Of course I can." Frank hung up his phone,

"Sonny says hi, he can't make it to the hospital tonight or tomorrow because of his friend Andrew's drug intervention but he said, and I quote, 'Magenta, if you don't feel better, I'm gonna frickin' kill Brad with a gravy boat'."

"Frank..." Magenta whispered, "Can you call him back? I need to talk to him." Frank speed-dialed Sonny and handed Magenta the phone, "Sonny? Hi, baby! I'm okay, how's Andrew's intervention coming? Really? Ew... can you even keep that much ecstasy inside a rotten egg? Yes, okay, call me when you get through to him, love you, baby, bye." Magenta hung up and passed Frank the phone.

"How's the little nut?" Brad smirked,

"I don't know." Magenta whispered, "He was really upset the other night. He sounds happy enough, but it's hard to tell." Magenta intercepted a tear that had begun to spill down her white cheek with the back of her hand, soon, the delicate tear escalated into a few more and soon a violent stream,

"What's wrong with her?" Frank interrogated,

"Frank, you have to leave." Kimi countered, "The medication is making her really, _really _emotional, everyone, out, except Brad and Olivia, Gabriella, you have pediatric patients to attend to, and Nation, you can stay because this is your room too, but Cosmo, Columbia and Frank, out. Find me a bag of chips, I'm in the middle of PMS."

"No wonder." Frank griped as Kimi tossed him a rolled-up five-dollar bill. Brad's phone rang, Kimi glared at him,

"Is that Led Zeppelin?"

"Shut up. Hello? MOTHER? HANG UP! He did what? NO! Have Steve take him. Okay. Fine. See you then."

"Are you _leaving_?" Nation snapped,

"No. My mom needs someone to watch the dog, she's bringing him over here."

"This is a HOSPITAL!"

"And he's a Golden Retriever, they can behave themselves."

"No they can't." Kimi bitched. There was a loud knock on the door and Angie's smiling face emerged in the tiny window.

"Oh-"

"-fuck..."

"BRAD! I BROUGHT YOUR LITTLE FRIEND!" a muffled barking sound echoed from the other side of the door, Magenta's tears subsided,

"Brad, is that your dog?"

"Sadly yes. I hope to fuck he doesn't track his muddy-ass paws in here."

Vitamin A burst into the room, Kimi squealed and hopped onto a chair. Brad whined.

"You stupid dog."

"ARF!"

"THIS IS A HOSPITAL!" Kimi shrieked, "HE IS A DOG! HE COULD BE A RABID, FLEA-INFESTED MONGREL, AND IF HE BITES ME, BRAD, I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL HEAT UP A SPOON AND SCORCH YOUR SACK!"

"You're fucking disgusting." Brad snapped.

"Will you get him the fuck out of my bed?" Magenta complained, gently shoving Vitamin A as he licked his own crotch,

"YOU DUMB DOG!" Kimi yelled again,

"Nation, can you knock her out?"

"My pleasure."

"HOLD IT! Brad, I swear if that fleabag touches me, I'll scream." Kimi peeped. She stood up and ran across the room.

_SNAP!_

_CRUNCH!_

"OUCH!"

"What?"

"THAT FREAKIN' DOG BIT ME!"

"Excuse me?"

* * *

><p>Magenta fell asleep fine that night. Brad stayed awake watching her sleep. It was interesting, she was interesting, the way she slept was beautiful. It was like a visual drug, he was getting high on the delicate body shivering beneath the thin white sheets. Olivia opened the door,<p>

"Brad, I need to tell you something."

"What is it? What's happening to her?"

Olivia sat down, "The way Magenta's been lately, how sick she's been feeling...? Brad, these are the death throes of end-stage renal failure."

The hot tears spilled violently down Brad's face, they burned as they streamed, he collapsed across Magenta's fragile body,

"This can't happen again, she had a transplant!"

"She can make it if we get another transplant in time, and we'll put her on dialysis."

"I can't let her go through it again-"

"Brad, listen to me, we're going to do it anyway, and the best you can do for Magenta is to just be there. She needs you right now, you're her support system. And when you get married, you're going to need to work harder to give her a reason to want to live. You're going to marry her and make vows to her. Please let her live long enough for you to be able to give her that."

Brad looked up and dried a few tears, "How can I do that?"

Olivia looked at him severely. "Tomorrow night, you are going to take her out, You're going to get dinner, I'm going to give you money, and you're going to make her happy. Then after that, you're going to come back to this hospital and have sexual intercourse and lots of it."

"Okay..."

"Okay, Brad. Now you need to get some sleep. I'll let you sleep in there with her tonight." Brad lay down next to Magenta and wrapped his arms around her fragile body. Praying that Olivia's promises could be kept.

* * *

><p>Magenta woke up the next morning at about 9:00. As if by some miracle, she felt absolutely fine, Brad watched her all morning for anything that could go wrong, a bleeding cut, a collapse, the subtle cough that could escalate into an emergency. But no such thing happened.<p>

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Olivia asked at about 2:00. "I mean, the Il-2 should have knocked you out by now."

"Must be a high point in the treatment, I feel wonderful..."

"Well, Majors, what did I tell you?" Olivia slapped a wad of cash into Brad's hand, "That's $300. Have fun tonight, kids."

"Have fun?" Magenta questioned, "What's she mean?"

"She means I'm taking you out tonight, we both need to get our minds off of this. Where should we go... um..."

"I'm fine with anywhere. As long as it's wheelchair accessible, in case the IL-2 or chemo kicks in... Olive Garden?" Magenta smirked.

"Sounds good." Brad whispered into her cheek.

* * *

><p>Brad made reservations for a table for two at the Olive Garden of all places. Magenta borrowed a dress from Kimi, a light pink dress with long sleeves and eyelet lace, totally out of character for Magenta, but still beautiful.<p>

At 7:30 pm, Brad ordered an expensive bottle of... something...

"Do you even know what that is?" Magenta asked,

"I know it's got alcohol in it." Brad countered, "And I know we're celebrating."

Magenta smiled and glanced down, "So, did you get the results of the last blood test?"

"Actually," Brad interrupted, "I thought we could come here to get away from all that..."

Magenta smiled wider, "I like that idea."

...

"AW FUCK, THAT WAS A LOT OF GNOCCHI!"

"Yeah, really, that was painful as hell." Brad whined as soon as they were both in the car, "Okay, Olivia told me we have to go back to the hospital and have a lot of sex."

"Sounds like fun."

Brad started to car and began to pull out of the parking lot, Magenta twirled a piece of her hair between her fingers,

"So are you still feeling okay?" Brad reached over and stroked her hair,

"Brad, I feel great, I mean, for a few minutes, I think somewhere between the expensive champagne, the piles of Italian food and the giant-ass vat of creme brulee, I kind of almost forgot... I forgot about the cancer, the treatment, and it was just you and me. And we were getting married." Magenta pushed aside a delicate tear, surprisingly, the tear didn't escalate into more, there was only one. And everything was okay. Secretly, in the deep recesses of Brad's mind, he had forgotten as well.

...

Brad lay Magenta down in bed and started to remove the pink dress,

"I'll be careful, okay?"

"No, Brad, don't be careful, I feel great, this is fun as hell, I want to bleed."

"How 'bout... semi-careful?" Brad whispered between mouthfuls of her lips,

"Whatever makes you happy-"

"Okay, I'm gonna start-"

"Brad, shut up."

"Okay, that's a good idea..."

Olivia opened the door.

"EEK!" she squealed, covering her eyes,

"My God..." Brad snapped, "PRIVACY, WOMAN!"

"Brad, do you have a-"

Brad leaned back, "Protection?"

"Do you, baby?"

"No... Maybe we should just go to sleep."

"Good idea."

* * *

><p>Magenta was still sleeping when Brad woke up, it was about 5:00 am and Nation was up too. Staring out the window. Brad sat next to her,<p>

"How was she last night?"

"Let's just say I don't want to ruin it by telling her what's wrong. She's in renal failure."

"I know." Nation whispered back, "Olivia told me. I can't give her anything, we're not compatible. Brad... do you know if- what's your type?"

"O. O negative." Nation continued to stare blankly. "What the hell are you looking at?"

"Ohhhh... God..."

"What- are you nuts, what the hell-"

"I can't have a spinal tap."

"What's that got to do with anything-"

"I have a tramp stamp. I have a tattoo of a butterfly above my ass. It's pretty hot, I gotta admit. And I can't have a spinal tap. Beauty really is pain, actually it doesn't hurt... I'm fuckin' nuts... Before I had leukemia, I used to donate blood for the free food."

"Food?"

"They give you a sugary baked good after you donate blood to prevent hypoglycemia. But I think I like chips better..."

"CHIPS- ARE YOU FREAKIN'- AUGH! I CAN'T TALK TO YOU WITHOUT FEELING ENRAGED!" Brad stood up, "I need to clear my head. Call me when she wakes up."

* * *

><p>"KIMI, PAGE DR. MAJORS!"<p>

"NO, I REFUSE!"

"YOU LITTLE BITCH! YOU CAN'T LET YOUR PROBLEMS-"

"HE RAPED HER! YOU SAW!"

"AND SHE'S IN CARDIAC ARREST! PAGE DR. MAJORS!"

"BUT-"

"SHUT UP! I'LL DO IT MYSELF, SHOCK HER!"

"Okay, charge to 500- CLEAR! NO! 500, 1, 2, 3, CLEAR! COME ON, MAGENTA, WHY THE FUCK- CLEAR!" Brad ran into Magenta's room to find a swarm of people in scrubs, the feeling made his heart drop, when paired with the blood splattered on the walls and Nation's horrified face...

It was over. This was it. The moment that had been coming down the pike for so long.

Brad shoved through the crowd, Olivia swore to herself when she saw him, Magenta's blood was soaking into Kimi's scrubs and Gabriella was close to tears,

"GET HER BACK!" Kimi screamed, Jonathan entered the room and Brad whipped around,

"You bastard-"

"Brad, shut up, let me do my job-" Jonathan was interrupted when Brad's clenched fist connected with his face,

"COME ON, MAGENTA," Olivia screamed, "STAY WITH US, YOU NEED TO STAY WITH US, ONCE MORE- CLEAR!"

* * *

><p>"So, one more time..." Frank whispered, "There's a machine keeping her alive?"<p>

"Yes." Olivia choked to the rest of the room, "What you just saw was Magenta's body turning against her. What you just saw was... well... partial death."

"No-" Brad squeaked, "Can she make it through?"

"Brad, the chance of survival is tiny. I think it's time to say goodbye now. We'll let you say your goodbyes, and then you can unplug the machine. But, if there's still a little spark of life, page me. But don't get your hopes up."

So Brad, Columbia, Sonny, Frank, Cosmo, Nation, Sonja, Jerome, Janet and Rayna came to be gathered in a small dark room, Magenta was comatose in the bed in front of them. The room was silent before Columbia stepped forward,

"You are so wonderful. I love you so much, you're one of my only friends and that means so much. And I can't lose you."

Sonja simply stepped forward and gently kissed her daughter's ashy forehead, Jerome did the same. Rayna patted her aunt's cheek fruitlessly and Janet sobbed violently, Brad's throat swelled shut before he stepped forward, he stroked her hair,

"I know you can pull through, just listen to me, miracles happen, understand? You're going to look so beautiful in your wedding dress, I can't wait." Brad stepped back as the tears began to flow. Cosmo and Nation sat down on either side of her bed and kept silent.

Finally Frank and Sonny stepped forward.

"I'm sorry about this. I'm sorry about all the times I hurt you, and made you cry, overworked and undermined you, because you never, ever deserved it."

Sonny just smiled and ran a hand down her leg.

_"Aloha 'oe, aloha 'oe,_

_I ke onaona noho_

_i ka lipo._

_One fond embrace_

_aho'ea au_

_until we meet again."_

Janet squeezed her eyes shut and Brad felt like he was bleeding inside.

"That was my lullaby when I was little and my parents and I went to Hawaii." she whispered.

Suddenly, Sonny seemed to turn rigid, his eyes shot open,

"Sonny, are you okay?"

"She- oh God... Brad, she's okay!"

"Sonny-"

"No, she just squeezed my hand! I swear to God-"

"Sonny, that's wishful thinking."

"No, it's not. Listen, she's alive."

"Sometimes-"

"Shut up! Come on, would I lie about this?"

Brad stood up and stood over her,

"Are you serious?"

"Brad! Shut up! Just hold her hand, see, she's warm."

Magenta inhaled. It didn't sound like a ventilator though. There was a subtly audible hint of her voice in the quiet breath. It sounded... _alive_.

"PAGE OLIVIA, SOMEONE PAGE OLIVIA, AND THEN GABRIELLA!" Brad screamed, Janet pressed the call button and Nation picked up her phone.

She really was going to look beautiful in her wedding dress.

* * *

><p>Olivia came out of Magenta's room with a big smile on her face.<p>

"Well, I've learned something new today. It's nearly medically impossible for Magenta Alvarado to die."

"So she's okay?" Brad snapped out of the almost-trance that he had let himself fall into to avoid having to come to terms with the devastating alternative to the situation.

"She's stable, she's still on minor Life Support because that was a very traumatic experience, and she's only semi-lucid, she can't speak, but she can see and hear, so you'll be able to talk to her, she just won't talk back."

Brad shoved past Olivia into Magenta's room, she looked absolutely destroyed, the dark circles around her closed eyes looked like smudged black eyeliner and the purple veins under her paper-thin surface seemed to be burning through her skin. Brad lay a hand on her chest,

"I knew you could make it."

Magenta made a kind of squeak and her eyelashes fluttered, she breathed more heavily and coughed violently, seeming panicked, Brad gathered her into his arms, Nation emerged in the doorway,

"How's she doing?"

"She's awake. She's really scared, I want to make sure she's calmed down first, okay?"

"It's just that... Rayna's outside and she wants in."

"I don't think so."

"Brad, she's really upset!"

"Then... tell Janet to explain it to her. I can't handle kids!"

Rayna ran into the room and climbed onto Magenta's bed,

"Auntie Genta? Are you okay?"

"Rayna, honey? Auntie Magenta needs her space, she's really sick right now." Janet warned,

"Do you think she needs a soda and a bag of chips?"

"No, sweetheart, it's not that kind of sick. Come over here, baby, I'll explain it to you." Janet picked Rayna up, "See, sweetie, Auntie Magenta's blood is sick."

"_Blood_?"

Janet nodded, "It's like she has a really bad cold that never goes away."

"That doesn't sound like fun."

"It's not fun, it makes Auntie Magenta very sad. And it makes Grandma and Grandpa very sad too, and Brad, and everyone else."

"It makes me sad..."

"Yeah, me too, baby girl, me too... But we can make it better if we try as hard as we can to make it easier for her to get better, alright?"

"Okay, mommy. Did daddy have a cold too?"

"No, sweetheart. Daddy was just nuts."

"That's a funny word."

"What? Nuts?"

"Yeah, nuts is food, and it can be what daddy was... And it's what Sonny has that Kimi likes!"

"I oughtta wash out that mouth of yours, Miss Rayna."

* * *

><p>"Brad... Brad, wake up." Brad felt someone patting his knee. He had forced himself to fall asleep after Rayna had painted his fingernails, "Brad, come on. Wake up..." The person smacked him,<p>

"Columbia, stop."

_PUNCH_.

"Brad, wake up!"

Brad sat up and saw Magenta glaring at him.

"Oh God, you're better now!"

"I'm not better." she smiled sadly, "I'm just... not dead. It's just like Janet said. It's a cold that never goes away. No amount of soda or chips is going to make this go away. And... Rayne was nuts."

Brad held Magenta's right hand in between both of his. "You're going to make it. You're definitely going to make it, I promise."

A few tears began to form in Magenta's eyes, "I just love you so much, I don't deserve you."

"You're right, you deserve better than me. You need someone who can give you all that you need. I want to be that person."

Magenta smiled, "Go back to sleep, okay? You're tired." she moved over in her bed, "Lie here next to me. I have dialysis tomorrow, I want to at least get to sleep next to you for one night and have everything be normal."

"How did you-"

"Kimi told me. That's when I coded, I think the news killed me... But it's fine, I'm on the donor list and the dialysis really helps, okay? So just go to sleep."

* * *

><p><em>It all happened so fast, it was a fast blur of blood, just blood. Lights and colours and warped voices, Brad was running down a hospital corridor... iPads and lipstick littered the shiny floor and blood seeped from the walls and ran in rivulets down the tiles and the blood seemed to be lighter, almost pinkish-orange. It was <em>leukemic _blood._

_Brad glanced at one of the blood-streaked doors and into the small window. Magenta was there. Receiving a drug through an IV. Brad opened the door and walked towards her. He had set one foot over the threshold before more blood began to spray from the walls. Her IV began to pump her full of drugs... saline blurred her face into something twisted and unrecognizable, Brad shook her delicate shoulders, her features flashed back for a fleeting second and the heart monitor let out one long note._

...

Brad jolted upright in bed, shaking Magenta awake in the process and screaming bloody murder.

"OH, BABY, ARE YOU OKAY? Talk to me..."

Brad gathered Magenta into his arms, she was warm. And breathing. And alive.

"you're...you're...alive..."

"Yes, yes, I'm alive..."

"You didn't-"

"No! Look at me, see? I'm okay, what's wrong?"

Brad leaned into Magenta's shoulder as his tears began to flow. She was that fallible, only human. And in the split second between recovering from the dream he'd had and reconnecting with reality, Brad compulsively caught Magenta as she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>Magenta had dialysis the next day. She had collapsed out of exhaustion. For the moment, Brad was watching as she and Sonja leafed through bridal magazines and argued over which flower petals they wanted Rayna to scatter around the church.<p>

Brad sat down next to her and looked over her shoulder,

"How do you get cake to hold it's shape like that?"

"I wouldn't know. Whenever I make any kind of colourful baked good it just collapses in on itself..."

Brad was about to say something when a girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes who looked to be about 14 glanced at Magenta and smiled,

"What're you in for?"

Magenta glanced back, "Leukemia, well, kidney failure to be specific. You?"

"Leukemia. ALL."

"AML."

"I'm Talya."

"Magenta."

"Cool, a colour name. My mom's name is Scarlett and my other mom's name is Violet, so, I was born into a family of colourful lesbians. It must run in the family, because my girlfriend's name is Fuschia. Which I'm starting to doubt is a real name." Talya glanced at Brad, "So... is that your bitch?"

"Fiancee." Brad corrected.

"That's cool..." Talya stared blankly at her nails and turned green, "Shit!" she squealed, throwing her head into an emesis basin, Magenta looked over her shoulder,

"You had a bagel with cream cheese for lunch."

"Ew! How the hell do you know?"

"21 years."

"Shut up! How old are you?"

"Just turned 23 a few days ago."

"So you were a baby?"

"No, I was 2, I was diagnosed the day after my birthday, and you?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Well, it gets worse than this."

"Thanks for that.. gem of knowledge." Talya said facetiously. Her IV beeped and a nurse came over,

"Alright, Talya, you're outta here, you got someone picking you up?"

"Yeah, my grandma. Alright, I guess I'll see you." Talya smiled and left. Sonja smiled,

"What a nice girl, it's a shame she's sick too."

"She's sweet," Magenta replied, "Thank God it's only ALL. High survival rate- oh God..." Magenta held an emesis basin under her mouth and retched violently enough for Sonja to glance into the basin to look for any blood.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, weird, I can usually hold stuff down during dialysis. Maybe I'm just getting sick- DAMN IT!" she threw up again,

"Princess," Sonja said worriedly, "Should I get Olivia?"

"Mom, it's fine. This happens during chemo all the time."

"Magenta, this is dialysis!"

"MOTHER!" Magenta snapped with a dangerous look in her eyes, Sonja shut up and went back to staring at pictures of lavish cakes, "Should we get butterscotch or buttercream?"

Sonja looked up as if in shock, "There's a difference?

* * *

><p>Nation was already in the room when Brad brought Magenta back and Sonja went out to buy an air freshener. There were slices of cake spread out across the room.<p>

"Nat! You turned my room into a bakery!"

"Just bear with me on this one, we're gonna pick a cake!"

"I'm not hungry, I just watched a teenage girl vomit into a plastic bowl."

"Me either." said Brad. Rayna got off the windowseat in a matter of seconds and sat on Magenta's lap. Brad didn't know how depressing it looked until he was seeing it. Rayna went over to a plate of cake and picked it up, then started shovelling some into her mouth.

Within minutes, she had eaten her way around the room.

"Which one was your favourite, Rayna?"

"The brown one."

* * *

><p>Brad left the hospital for about half an hour to pick up the shoes Magenta had ordered for the wedding. Once he got back to the hospital, nobody seemed to be in the room, then Olivia came out of the washroom,<p>

"Brad, she's sick."

"You're kidding, what's wrong?"

"She has a high fever, we're trying to bring it down."

"How? Cold water again?"

"You know me too well, Majors."

"Is she okay, can I come in?"

"I'd rather you didn't." Olivia pointed to the door and mouthed 'Rayna'.

"No way."

"She's full-out playing nurse in there, it's terrifying."

"Well, stop her!"'

"It's not that simple." Brad opened the bathroom door to find Magenta sitting on the bathroom floor next to the toilet and Rayna holding a bag of chips. Brad sat down next to her and she leaned, shaking, into his contact.

"I'm sick."

"It'll be okay."

Rayna patted her hand, "Yeah, I'm gonna make you better."

"Rayna- I really don't think-"

"Brad, you're silly!"

"I wouldn't say that, Rayna," Olivia singsonged, "Brad's essentially an oncologist."

"Uncle-what?"

"Cancer doctor."

"I thought Auntie Magenta had leuka- lukkia- leuka-memia..."

"That's cancer, Rayna." Janet groaned.

"She has leukemia AND cancer?"

"LEUKEMIA _IS_ CANCER, RAYNA!"

"OH MY GOD!" Magenta screamed, throwing her head back into the toilet and retching violently, Brad rubbed her lower back in slow circles, Rayna patted her hair, "You'd make a good little nurse, Rayna." she whispered when she leaned back, Rayna turned to Janet,

"Mommy, do you have any more chips?"

"No, why?"

"Never mind."

"Hey, Rayna." said Kimi, "You know what, I think I know how you can help. In the cooler, under Nation's bed is a tray of ice cubes, can you put a few of them in a plastic bag and get your mom to help you crack them up? Here, I'll show you." Kimi and Rayna left the bathroom and Magenta threw up again.

About two minutes later, Rayna came back into the bathroom holding a glass of ice.

"Here, this'll make you better."

Magenta smiled as Rayna handed her the glass, "You're such a good girl, Rayna."

"I know!"

Magenta smiled again, "Baby, how'd you like to be in me and Brad's wedding, 'cause we're getting married soon, you could be the flower girl, would you like that?"

Rayna looked elated, "I'D LOVE THAT! I LOVE YOU!"

* * *

><p>Hours passed and Magenta went back to sleep. Brad stared into space for about half an hour before Nation smacked him on the head.<p>

"Are you nuts?"

"Go to hell."

Nation pulled up and chair and held Magenta's hand, "Why are you just sitting here?"

"... Nat, what if she codes again?"

"Brad, she's not going to code. Your eyes are open so wide, they're going to explode if you don't stop staring."

"Nat, I need to make sure she doesn't code again."

"Listen, she's not going to die any sooner, just take a break."

"From what? What the hell else do I-"

"Brad, if Magenta was awake right now, she'd tell you to fuck off and stop staring like a creep. But, she'd say it nicer because she's _soooo_ sweet and good- She is _really_ sick right now, what you need to do is lie down next to her, and keep your stupid mouth shut!"

Brad stood up and left without another word.

* * *

><p>About half an hour later, Nation found Brad standing outside the cafeteria,<p>

"She's awake now, if you want to come see her."

"I don't think I can." Brad tried hard to push his tears aside, "She's going to die."

"Brad, stop that. You have to get your ass upstairs. NOW."

...

Brad opened the door to Magenta's room and found Columbia painting her nails.

"Columbia, leave her alone."

Columbia jumped back and threw up her hands in surrender, Magenta looked at her nails,

"Interesting. Collie, you don't suck at this anymore" Brad sat down next to her, "Are you okay?"

"Fine." he whispered, gently kissing her forehead and laying her down, "I'm fine."

Nation ruined the semi-emotional moment, "Okay, Cosmo and I are leaving for the night, Olivia and Kimi both have the night off, Sonny is going to be with Kimi, Frank and Lucille are going out, Genta, your parents need to settle some shit across town, and everyone else is going out tonight, so it's just going to be the two of you tonight, have fun."

After everyone had left, Brad and Magenta found themselves in silence. They were staring, focused just away from each other to avoid eye contact. Finally Magenta looked up and made eye contact, Brad followed,

"Are you sure you're okay?" she whispered,

"I don't- Dammit..."

Magenta moved over in bed and patted the mattress next to her, "Come here." Brad stood up and lay down next to Magenta, gathering her fragile body into his arms. The tears began to flow heavily.

"You have more time... you have to have more time, you can't die- I can't let you die, I told... I told your parents I would take care of you, I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you!" Brad pulled Magenta closer,

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm not trying hard enough."

"Don't say that, please, you can't blame this on yourself, you don't need to do anything."

Magenta pulled back, and Brad noticed that she was also in tears. It was disturbing to see her break down. It was only a reminder that she was only human. She was fallible, she could break. It was disturbing when Brad was reminded that she wasn't the angel that he thought she was. She was eventually going to come to an end.

"Brad, listen to me, I promise I won't leave you if I can help it, but, if I can't make it, then you have to promise me that you'll get over it. If I die, you can't dwell on it."

"...I- you need to-"

"Promise?"

"...I love you..." Magenta sat up and pushed Brad's hair out of his face,

"I love you too. And I know that you're going to take good care of me."

Brad started to sob harder, Magenta lay down next to him, it was clear that she was exhausted, he gathered her into his arms and they cried together.

Until the blood started flowing.

Brad punched the call button and a nurse he didn't know came into the room,

"What is it?"

"She's coughing up blood."

"What's she in for?"

"Aren't you supposed to know all the patients on this floor?"

"She has a different nurse."

"Well, yeah, Kimi Tanaka, and Maria Sacrangella who does dialysis."

"So kidney failure?"

"Leukemia. Can you help at all, please? Dr. Anderson usually tilts her head sideways and it slows the bleeding down-"

"Listen up, sir, you're not the doctor here, so shut up!"

"Neither are you! FIX THIS!"

"WHAT THE FUCK, I'M AN ORTHO NURSE, I FIX BROKEN LEGS, I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT BLOOD- Crap, she's seizing."

"PAGE DR. ANDERSON. NOW."

"SHE'S GOT THE NIGHT OFF!"

"I'll call her myself."

Brad dialed Olivia's number and went into the hall.

"Olivia Anderson speaking."

"Olivia?"

"Oh God, Brad, what?"

"The nurses here are full of shit."

"Is she coding?"

"YES!"

"... Alright, I'm on my way. The girls will understand."

"Girls?"

"My twin daughters. They actually go to preschool with Rayna, whatever, I'm coming."

"Can you get Kimi?"

"She's out with Sonny? Do you have his number?"

"Magenta does."

"Just, don't let the nurses too close to her."

* * *

><p>Magenta was unconscious when Olivia arrived. Once she was stable, Olivia came out of her room, Brad and the other nurse were waiting,<p>

"Magenta's stable, she's on oxygen and a few transfusions, Nurse Follens, I have to tell you something."

"Yes, Dr. Anderson?"

"You know, how at Moreno's they'll take just about any dessert and soak it in rum? Well, they soaked my creme caramel. And just as I was about to eat it. I got a phone call from Brad saying that I had to come to the hospital because you didn't know how to do your job."

"Dr. Anderson-"

"Shut up. I expect you to have done your job properly at least six times tomorrow or you are history at this hospital. Get it?"

"Yes."

Olivia pointed away down the hall, "Scat."

Nurse Follens ran away down the hall and Brad clapped facetiously,

"Way to lay down the law!"

"Ohhh... I've never been more terrified. Nurse Follens has a black belt..."

...

Magenta woke up after a while, but she stayed quiet and didn't say anything. Olivia eventually had to leave and they were left alone again. Brad passed about an hour stroking her hair and whispering 'I love you' over and over as if he was a CD on loop. Finally, Nation walked in.

"HI!" she screamed, throwing her purse across the room,

"SHUT UP!" Brad whisper-screamed back, "She's sleeping, she needs to rest."

Nation's face softened in the dark, "What happened?"

"Well, aside from some ortho nurse almost killing her-"

"Nurse Follens?"

"How did you know?"

"She's always filling in for Olivia. I had her once, when you and Magenta went out. She licked Cosmo."

"Licked?"

"Did I stutter? LICK LICK LICK-" Nation shrieked until Brad held a hand over her mouth, she bit his hand,

"Are you nuts?"

"No. LICK LICK LICK LICK LICKETTY LICK LICK LICK!"

* * *

><p>Brad approached Olivia later that night,<p>

"Brad, what- what the hell, what do you want?"

"I don't know if I want Magenta to stay in hospital. I mean, after what happened..."

"Heh, impossible."

"I'm taking her home." Brad started toward Magenta's room and Olivia jumped in front of him, "What, are you gonna bodily restrain me?"

"I will if I have to, are you gonna hit a woman?"

"I will if I have to!"

"Listen, Brad, she is sick, she needs help you cannot possibly give her-"

"I can take care of her."

"No you can't, you don't know what you're doing, you could do more damage by taking her home!"

"I can do it, I've done this before-"

"She almost bled out. You're not a doctor, you don't understand."

"I understand just fine, when you love someone as much as I love Magenta, you'll understand. She almost died last time because the nurses here didn't know how to do their job-"

"It happened once, Brad, that barely ever happens."

"But Nation said it happened to her too!"

"She was probably high!" Olivia whispered,

"She did start screaming 'LICK LICK LICK'..."

"Exactly."

As if on cue, Nation burst out of the room,

"OLIVIA, SHE'S SEIZING!"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I missed it."<p>

"Brad, it's fine, she's okay now, it was just the treatment, this happens."

Brad held his head in his hands and leaned back next to Magenta. She was asleep after Olivia had given her an excessive amount of Tylenol.

"I don't want this to have to happen anymore. It's not healthy."

"_She's_ not healthy, Brad, she has leukemia. She's had it forever. She needs treatment."

Before Brad could answer, Janet burst into the room,

"Kill me right now."

"Why?"

"My daughter."

"Rayna?"

"I don't have another daughter." Janet whipped out her phone and a video of Rayna standing in front of a classroom full of little kids,

"Hospitals are where sick people go to get better, my aunt has a bad cold. And it makes her boyfriend angry, so now he likes to punch walls and drink lots of alcohol." said video-Rayna.

"What the-"

"Oh, it gets worse."

"Nation was sick, so they had to take her baby-box out."

Janet shuddered and tossed her phone onto Nation's empty bed.

"What would possess a little kid to talk like that?" she squealed, "Baby box... alcohol... wall-punching, Brad, why would you behave that way in front of my child?"

"I don't know, why don't we give _you_ leukemia and see what that... android husband of yours does."

"ROCKY IS NOT AN ANDROID!"

* * *

><p>Magenta was in dialysis for two hours the next day, Talya was there, she made rude comments about Brad's hair until her session was over. As soon as she was gone, a tall woman with long brown hair walked right over,<p>

"Hi, I don't mean to bother you, my name is Violet Robbins, I'm Talya's mother, are you Magenta?"

"Yes."

"My daughter has told me and my wife so much about you. You're just as beautiful as Talya says."

"Well, she's a very sweet girl, I'm so sorry she's sick."

"I just wanted to thank you for making her happy, I mean, she's sick, and she had to quit cheerleading, but you're so... nice to her. It's nice to know that my girl has someone to talk to."

"Of course she does, she's a wonderful girl. And tell her to ask me any questions she has."

"Thank you so much."

...

Once Brad and Magenta got back to the room, Nation was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and slamming her head against the blue plaster. Cosmo was sitting on her bed, holding his head in his hands.

"Nat, you have to stop."

"Can't. Feels good. I'm an egg and I have to be a cake. Egg egg egg."

"You're hurting yourself."

"I feel like shit shit shit." Nation slammed her head harder into the wall, "I am gonna throw up?"

"You will if you give yourself a concussion."

Nation turned green, "Throwing up is... ACH..." she made a face, "Genta, you're purdy, you're real purdy, Cosmo, my face hurts." Nation leaned backwards and fell back, her head seemed to bounce off of the floor.

"What's wrong with her?" Brad whispered in Magenta's ear,

"She reacts this way to the treatment, sometimes the radiation directed at her brain for leukemia clouds her mind for a few hours."

Nation smirked for about two seconds before she coded.

* * *

><p>"I called Ansalong, she's on her way."<p>

"You called a stripper at a time like this?"

"Shut up, Brad."

Cosmo patted Nation's hair and the door flew open, standing in the doorway was a tall, skinny woman with long brown hair and a Southern accent,

"NAT?" the woman screamed, throwing herself into Cosmo's open arms, "What happened, you said she... you said she had a hysterectomy? Is that true? Oh, Nat..." she was shaking Nation's sleeping body at this point, "When can she wake up?"

"Soon, she lost a lot of blood and they pushed morphine." Magenta whispered.

"MAGENTA?" the woman squealed, "She ain't never been this bad before, why is this happening?"

"She'll be okay once she wakes up, I promise."

Ansalong stood up straight and backed up, "I'll go get some food. Will she be awake when I'm back?"

"Probably, go on."

...

Nation was awake when Ansalong got back. She came back holding a tray full of frappuccinos which she almost dropped when she noticed that Nation's eyes were open.

"NAT!"

"Ansalong?"

"Oh, baby!" Ansalong threw herself onto Nation's bed, "You're sick, you're really sick, I'm so so sorry-"

"You knew I was sick before, it's okay, you don't have anything to be sorry for, I promise." Nation patted Ansalong's hair with the hand that didn't have an IV or transfusion, "You do realize that you're missing work to come and cry over me."

Ansalong leaned back and smiled, "I work at night. You deserve to be cried over. And I missed you since you left Dentonvale."

"I collapsed on live TV, I think that's kind of a sign..."

The room was silent. "You can get better, right? Nat?"

"They're not hopeful, Annie, but we're trying, and Dr. Anderson is amazing."

Ansalong glanced at Olivia, "I sure hope so."

* * *

><p>Ansalong fell asleep on the windowseat when Nation was taken into radiation. Everyone else eventually left to buy food and Magenta was left with a distraught stripper.<p>

Ansalong made a strangled squeak and sat up, rubbing her eyes,

"N-Nat... where is she?"

Magenta sat down in the wheelchair next to her bed and grabbed hold of the bathroom door to drag herself to the windowseat, "I'm really bad at this... Nat's in treatment."

"Treatment? She needs treatment?"

"We both need treatment, but don't worry, it only hurts for a little bit."

"What kind is it?"

"Radiation."

"How does that work?"

"They radiate places where the cancer cells are, in Nat's case, her ovaries and places where the leukemic cells are settling, so her brain and heart."

"What treatment are you having?"

"The same as Nat, radiation, chemotherapy and Il-2."

"But y'all both have hair...?"

Magenta ran a hand through her hair and a tiny blizzard of red curls escaped on the back of her hand, "Not for long."

"I noticed that Nat was losing more."

"Yeah. It's really too bad, she's so beautiful and her hair really adds a lot."

At that convenient moment, Cosmo wheeled Nation back into the room, Brad came back holding a bag with grease stains, most likely from fast food and Olivia and Kimi followed.

"Let's get something straight." said Nation, "Me and Cosmo are about to look like twins."

"We _are_ twins, Nat."

"Yeah, sure, to put it bluntly, I'm becoming my brother." Cosmo lifted Nation back into bed. "How's your hair, Genta, are you losing as much as me?"

"I have more to lose, Nat."

Nation looked down, seeming a little upset, "Yeah..."

The room was silent.

Brad held up the bag of food, "I got fries..."

* * *

><p>Olivia patted Magenta as gently as she could the next morning to wake her up. Sonja, Nation, Columbia, Ansalong and Kimi were standing in the doorway. Magenta opened her eyes and squeaked, Olivia took the oxygen mask off her face,<p>

"What...? I'm tired, this better be good."

"We flipped a coin. Princess." Sonja said, "You need to buy a dress today."

"Dress?"

"Put your contacts in, biatch, we're going shopping!" Nation screamed.

...

"It's a little low-cut, don't you think?"

"I look like an icicle."

"True dat, Genta."

"That radiation really did fry your brain, didn't it Nat?"

"Pretty much."

The Kleinfeld saleslady, who had been hovering like a wasp, with a nose like an anteater and pointy glasses glanced over,

"It's actually quite modest, covers up a fair amount of cleavage."

Magenta turned around, her central line was dangling in the middle of the strapless sweetheart neckline, "Will it cover this?"

The saleslady's heavily mascara-ed eyes widened, "Oh, maybe we should try something else. And if the bridesmaids will follow me, maid of honour, that means you too."

Nation stood up reluctantly and followed everyone else but Sonja across the store with the saleslady. An younger woman came over,

"So what are you ladies looking for today?"

"Well, I'm getting married soon, and I need something that will cover my chest."

"Religion?"

"No, I have leukemia. And I have a... catheter... where they deliver chemotherapy."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Oh no, that's fine, I just need something to cover it."

The younger saleslady smiled, "I'll see what I can do."

...

Magenta found herself standing, once again, in front of a full-length mirror. The dress covered her central line perfectly, but the hemline barely scraped her knees and the GVH scars on her shins were made visible. Sonja took a picture on her phone.

"Is this what you were thinking of?"

"Well, I like the neckline. But it's a little... short... I mean, my legs are showing. And there's scars on my legs. Do you have anything longer?"

"I would think so, I'll go check."

Magenta sat down on a bench. "This is bullshit."

"Sweetheart-"

"I'm never gonna find a stupid dress."

"Yes you are, I- oh Lord..."

Magenta looked up and saw Kimi, Nation, Columbia and Ansalong wearing orange dresses with the waists cut out. Nation's did a wonderful job of displaying her central line, GVH scars and even the incision on her waist from her hysterectomy. Kimi's hung off her body and Columbia's entire chest was almost out. Ansalong was smiling.

"It makes my ass look fat." said Nation.

"That's the point." Kimi bitched. "Nat, you look hot."

The older saleslady inspected Nation, running her hands over her body, stopping when she touched the white scar that defaced Nation's abdomen.

"What. Is that?"

"Just something I... got, uh, I have some concerns about the dress...?"

"Yes, dear?"

The saleslady was beginning to plaster foundation onto Nation's exposed flesh,

"Do you have anything else? Maybe something that isn't the same colour as my hair, or that covers me a little more?" The saleslady looked at Magenta,

"Was there a colour you were thinking of in particular?"

"Something dark." said Sonja, continuing to adhere to Transylvanian marital traditions, "I was thinking maybe dark purple or black. With lace."

"I'm not sure about that... I'll see what I can do, ladies, if you'll follow me."

The other saleslady came back over with another few dresses.

"These are all the length that you were thinking of, I'm not so sure about the necklines, though, but maybe, this one would work."

the saleslady handed Magenta a long silk dress with a draped neckline.

"This is nice, you like it, Mom?"

"I guess so, I still wish you weren't shoving all of our traditions onto your God-forsaken bridesmaids."

"They're not forsaken, I'm the one dying." Magenta snapped, stepping back behind a partition. Within seconds, she came back into view, the dress fell perfectly on her waist and chest. Her central line was still explicitly visible.

The saleslady bit her lip, "Oh gosh..."

"I'm sorry, I'm being an obnoxious client."

"No, no, no, it's fine."

"Maybe, Genta, you could have your central line removed for the wedding."

"Mom, I have dialysis every morning, it doesn't matter when we book the church, I'm going to need it that day. And we can't remove it that fast."

"Maybe you could wear a jacket overtop of your dress?" Sonja suggested,

"Most jackets don't cover the middle of my chest."

Sonja was about to open her mouth when the rest of the bridal party came over in short navy dresses. Magenta started to hold back laughter and Nation looked pissed.

"I'm a tramp." said Columbia. "I look like a tramp."

Nation desperately touched her central line, "This is a problem... a big problem."

The saleslady scoffed, "Well, you could always come back at a later date."

"I think we'll have to." said Magenta. Moving behind the partition, she reappeared a few seconds later in normal clothes. The bridal party began to change as well.

"The maid-of-honour's hair is simply atrocious, you can't be going bald and not be able to notice. How do you think she acquired all those unsightly blemishes...?" the older saleslady whispered to the other one,

"I'm not sure, but don't make a show of it, the bride has them too and she's got cancer of some kind."

"Oh yes, my sister had a little bout of The Cancer, her's was in her skin, poor girl, I told her, I said, Roberta, those tanning beds are nothing but trouble! Would she listen? Defiant little lady, she's better though, just finalized her divorce."

"Bobbi divorced Owen?"

"It was a naaaaasty breakup. Do you think they could be part of a cult?"

"It's possible, maybe some kind of... tribal ritual. They're both white though..."

"White doesn't necessarily mean non-cult-ish."

Nation turned around.

"We're not part of any cult. Our blemishes are from an infection we developed from our treatment. We both. have. leukemia. And I recently was privileged enough to develop ovarian cancer and I got to have my fucking uterus taken out. So I can't conceive!"

"I'm-I'm sorry-"

"Shut up. It's because of people like you that we're taking our business elsewhere. Shift it, ladies."

* * *

><p>As soon as they were out of the store, Magenta lost it.<p>

"NAT, THAT WAS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE!"

"Yeah, well, she's a bitch, did you see the way she was looking at my incision?"

"Some people are biased, I got shoved around 24/7 when I was in high school and I NEVER went crazy on people."

"That's because you're a shy little wallflower with no sense of self-advocacy!"

"What do avocados have to do with this?"

"SHUT UP KIMI!" Nation and Magenta snapped at the same time,

...

Sonja called the church once they got back to the hospital, after a while she came back into Magenta and Nation's room, looking exasperated.

"Well, I called the church, and all that's open is May 23rd, two weeks from now, or May 23rd, two _years_ from now."

"Well, we can't wait." Magenta protested.

"Genta, it's very soon, you don't even have a dress-"

"Mom, I may not have two years."

"Genta, don't say that, Princess-"

"Mom, we need to do this now. I'm ready."

Sonja's face softened, realizing she couldn't win this fight. "Okay, Princess, we can book the church for the 23rd."

* * *

><p>Steve entered the hospital with a smile on his face. He rode the elevator grinning. He arrived outside Magenta Alvarado and Nation McKinley's room and opened the door. His brother was sitting next to a tiny woman with long red hair and tubes in her nose,<p>

"BRAD!"

"Shit." his brother stood up and came over, "Why are you here?"

"Well, Mom told me to come and say hi."

"Well..." Brad punched himself in the face. "Just... go wander the hospital. You might find a girlfriend!" **(A/N; do y'all even remember the first chapter?) **

Steve walked down the long corridors until he found a door labeled 'Radiotherapy'. He opened the door and almost passed out.

An astoundingly beautiful woman was lying on a slab, what resembled a large lightbulb seemed to be hovering above her lower body, there was a half-empty bottle of tequila in her hand. Her hair was thinning, even though she seemed to be very young, the shoulder-length orange curls were spread out across a pillow under her neck and Steve finally realized that the lightbulb was illuminating her EXPOSED lower body.

A doctor with long dirty blonde hair and a nametag that read Olivia Anderson glanced up,

"You can't be in here!"

"Brad Majors sent me."

The beautiful woman looked up,

"You know Brad?"

"Steve Majors, ma'am." Steve held out his hand, the woman gave him a condescending look,

"I'm not touching that."

"Thought so. What're you in for?"

"Ovarian cancer. And leukemia."

"Shit..."

The woman glanced down, "You're, like, really tall."

"Seriously? I didn't think so... Don't only little kids get leukemia?"

"Nope, everyone. It's what Magenta has."

"Who's she? What the hell with the colour name..."

"She's Brad's fiancee."

"Is she that girl? With the insane hair and the awesome boobs?"

"That's her." the woman smiled. "You're sweet, what's your name?"

"Steve. I told you, Steve Majors."

"Oh, right. Nation McKinley."

* * *

><p>"YOUR BROTHER IS A WHORE, BRAD!"<p>

"Really, Nat? Didn't your mother ever tell you that you say hello when you enter a room?"

"He was flirting with me in Radiation!"

A dark looked passed over both Cosmo and Brad's faces, Magenta looked up from Sonny's nails and Kimi dropped her pen.

"Flirted?"

"I was there." Olivia added.

"Did he touch you?"

"No, but he looked at me, you know, where I was having radiation, if you know what I mean..." Nation pointed into her lap. Brad stood up,

"Where is he?"

"I left him in Radiology."

Brad opened the door, "Excuse me."

...

Brad found Steve in Radiology,

"STEVE!"

"Hey Brad."

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I don't think I know-"

"The woman you were talking to earlier. Nation."

"You mean the foxy one? With fox hair?"

"I guess, don't hit on her. She's taken, and really, don't waste your time, she's not into it. And you're being a creeper, she's vulnerable and the way she described your encounter, it sounded like you weren't entirely interested in her fox hair."

"Well, she's hot, and I'm a guy. I have needs."

Brad grabbed Steve's collar and shoved him against a wall. "You're dating someone, Nation has cancer, you don't hit on sick people, she thinks you were trying to seduce her."

"Brad, I'm in love with Nation, she's beautiful."

"She's insecure. She's losing hair like a cat in the summer and she's breaking out because of the treatment, keep it up and she'll think you're making fun of her."

"Brad, I love her."

"You've never met her, you don't know her, how do you know?"

"Brad, she was sweet, and beautiful, and she seemed smart, I like smart girls. And she has these, like, remarkable b-"

"SHUT UP! Listen, you can't do this to her, if you change your mind, it'll really hurt her, she won't be able to handle it."

"But I'm sure about this, Nation's gorgeous!"

"She won't be in three weeks, but..."

"I'm sure she won't lose what she's got going on here."

"Steve, what's your favourite part of her?"

"Hair. and boobs."

"Exactly."

"Come on, Brad, I can really see this going someplace!"

"The only places you're going are hell and jail."

"For what, being in love?"

"No, for leading on a distraught, drug-addicted... effectively-neutered cancer patient with little to no self-esteem. It's cruel, Steve."

"BUT IT'S NOT CRUEL! I LOVE HER!"

"Steve, please, the two of you are both seeing people! Nation's a bitch and Jenny is your girlfriend!"

"God, Brad. Screw you."

...

Olivia took Magenta to dialysis the next day, Talya was there, apparently. Magenta dropped the bomb that she was inviting her to the wedding a few hours later.

"How could you do this?"

"Brad, are you serious-"

"Are you kidding? That girl is evil!"

"No, Brad, she's sick, she metastasized last week."

"What?"

"She's developing lymphoma, she told me in dialysis. It's not like she's in the bridal party or anything."

* * *

><p>"OH GOD, YEAH!"<p>

"Nat, shut up, they're coming..."

"Damn, Sonja, you're forceful..."

"Ssh, Nat, I can see her!"

Kimi turned a light on in the room, she and Magenta saw it all at once.

Nation, Ansalong and Columbia were all wearing dark purple dresses, Nation's was longer to cover her legs and her neckline was higher to cover her central line, a white lace dress lay on the windowseat, the high neckline was lace and the dress became white silk when it reached the shiny sweetheart neckline, the waist was tightly cinched and flared at the bottom.

Magenta had finally found a wedding dress.

"Oh... God... Nat... did you make this? It's beautiful..."

"We all did." said Sonja, "Cosmo helped."

Kimi smiled and peeled off her scrubs, she was wearing a dark dress as well.

"I didn't think that-"

"You're going to look so beautiful, Princess." Sonja whispered. "Now let me see you in it."

...

The dress was beautiful. Floor length, the central line became an illusion under the delicate lace, her porcelain skin seemed to bleed into the fabric, the waistline clung to what was left of her body and the skirt would be able to cover whatever transfusion, IV or other wires she needed to be attached, it would be hidden under a flurry of tulle and lace and silk. It was going to be the one night that everything could be normal, a night to not be sick, a night to not have to worry. A night for Magenta to feel beautiful for the first time in her life. Really beautiful, the night was finally coming.

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed, May 22nd came, Olivia took Magenta off of treatment so she could keep her strength up for the wedding. Her hair began to look thicker and darker, her eyes brightened and regained an innocent but flirtatious light and a pearly glow sprung back into her skin, it glowed on every corner of her delicate body, until she seemed to become iridescent.<p>

But all Brad could think about were the cancerous cells building up in her body, her weak, failing kidneys, he couldn't focus on how she was slowly re-assembling when so much was broken below the surface.

It didn't seem enough for her to rapidly consume energy drinks and sugary food, she would become hyper and then collapse, Olivia would pump her full of IV stuff and she would regain balance. A collapse seemed impending...

But for the moment, everything was fine, Magenta was doing Rayna's makeup, much to Janet's dismay, Jerome and Sonja were uploading pictures of the cake to Facebook and Angie and Daniel were staring at the Alvarado family with critical eyes. Steve, however, was only there to check out Nation's ass.

"Brad." said Daniel, "Do you have anything to wear yet?"

The room was silent and Brad glared at his family with contempt as Daniel produced a box,

"Dad, if you even try-"

"Humor me on this one, son, just try it on-"

"Brad..." Steve warned, "You've got to, that thing's a HAIR-loom!"

"I'M NOT WEARING THE TUX AT MY WEDDING! This is my wedding, I have something to wear, and THE THREE OF YOU ARE DELUSIONAL!"

"Is Jonny normal?" Angie giggled.

"NO HE'S NOT!" Brad screamed, "Mother, I need to talk to you. Privately, for a second."

Angie got up and followed Brad into the hall, "What is it, hon?"

"Jonathan... isn't invited to the wedding."

"He's your brother! Bradley Holden Majors, are you out of your mind?"

"He sexually assaulted Magenta, he raped her, I'm not about to invite him to the wedding! I don't want him around, I don't want him in my life anymore-"

"Brad, grow up-"

"HE RAPED HER! HE DID IT TWICE!"

"Brad, he didn't kill her-"

"Do you have any idea why we're in a hospital right now?"

"Yes, your girlfriend is... isn't she having preventative chemotherapy because her family carries a cancer gene?"

"She's dying! She's dying and he raped her!"

Angie fell silent.

"He actually..."

"Yes. There's a bloodstain on the guest room floor at Cosmo and Nation's house to prove it."

"I'll tell your father."

...

"Genta, baby, let me see-"

"MOTHER, GO AWAY!"

"BITCH, LET ME IN!"

"You too, Nat."

"Auntie Genta?"

"Yes, Rayna?"

"You're always pretty, I don't care."

"...Okay, you can come in."

Magenta opened the bathroom door just wide enough for Rayna to sneak in, Nation stuck her foot into the crack,

"I'm not going away until you let me see!"

Magenta's grip on the door softened and it creaked open. Her hair, for the first time, was perfectly controlled, straightened and curled into ringlets that spilled down her back, one spiral brushed across her face and gently curled over the edge of a lace veil.

"Oh God..." Sonja breathed, "You're a princess..."

"I look horrible..."

"Genta, are you fucking nuts?" Nation snapped,

"Bad word." said Rayna.

"Sorry, sweetie, Genta, at least you can do that with your hair."

"BS, Nat, you're straightening yours-"

"God knows how much I'll have after that!"

Rayna looked confused, "Are you cutting your hair?"

...

Sonja found Jerome picking pieces of icing off the cake,

"STOP!" she screamed, Jerome stood up straight,

"Well, I'm hungry, and I'm sorry if this is delicious!"

"Jerome, I didn't make it, it was delivered."

"Exactly, didn't I say delicious!" Jerome began to rip more icing off the cake and Sonja smacked his hand away,

"Jerome! Our daughter is getting married, I'll have to re-ice that cake if you don't stop that!"

There was a second of silence until Jerome smiled,

"I can't believe it... Our daughter, Magenta Lucine Rosalie Alvarado is getting... _married_... It seems like it was us a while ago, Jerome Rayne Alvarado and Sonja Sharifa Larins..." he reminisced, somewhat developing an affinity for middle names.

"My God, she really is a fighter. She's had acute myeloid leukemia, from the age of two, now she's 23, and she's getting married, our baby girl is a miracle. It's weird... Weird that in the end, it was Rayne who ended up leaving us."

"How did he die? It's insane, I don't even know how my own son died..."

"Jerome, Rayne killed himself last year. He shot himself." Sonja could feel tears pricking her eyes, "You have to wonder... what was going through his mind at that moment, was it that Genta was sick? Is that it? I'm her mother and I didn't commit fucking suicide..."

"I didn't even know this... Who even did?"

"Just me. And Nation."

"He told Nation before me? That girl _CANNOT _keep a secret, we both know that, and Rayne did too-" Jerome lowered his voice, "The point is, our little girl is getting married, and I like Brad, he's a nice kid, he really loves her, I trust him with her, he's no predator, although those brothers of his make me wanna lose my lunch... And have you seen the parents? I mean, how low can you go?"

"That family is a frickin' limbo competition..."

Sonja and Jerome found themselves laughing. It was something out of the ordinary...

But now their baby was getting married, and starting her life, something they had both fought for her to keep. The little girl they had watched deteriorate for 21 years was fighting back. This was the Magenta they raised.

...

Brad had been kicked out, Cosmo too. The bridal party had decided to spend the night at the hospital, it was a wonder they could enjoy it, most people wouldn't choose to have to spend a night at a hospital of all places. Sick people sleep at hospitals. For now, Brad, Cosmo, Jerome, Frank, Sonny and Daniel were gathered in a bar.

"Aren't those ladies a little old for slumber parties?"

"I would think so, I mean, Kimi and Rayna seemed to be enjoying themselves, but Nat looked like she was about ready to cut someone."

"Well, Genta never really had many sleepovers, Sonja's making her live out her pre-teen dream."

"Jerome, do you Alvarado men get smashed a lot?" Daniel questioned, glancing up from his martini,

"They do." Sonny smirked, the smirk faded into a dark look of shock fairly fast, "Oh no, Brad, run, run for your life."

"What- why?"

"Haven't you seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" Sonny pointed, "Cousins."

Brad turned around, two young men with dark red hair were advancing across the bar, Jerome looked too,

"Is that Cordovan and Jian?"

"I remember Cordovan... I don't know Jian though..."

"Who are Cordovan and Jian?"

"My nephews." Jerome grinned, "Elanna's sons, Jian and Cordovan Kane. Hardcore Likians if I ever saw any..."

"HEY! JEROME! GENTA CALLED! WHO'S THE LUCKY GUY, EH?"

...

Kimi, Ansalong and Columbia were sleeping on the tile floor, Magenta and Nation were the only ones awake.

"Nat?"

"What is it, baby?"

"What if I get sick tomorrow?"

"You won't."

"But what if I do...?"

Nation smiled in the dark, "Genta, you'll be fine. Kimi has made the arrangements for your treatment while you and Brad are in Japan for two weeks, I'm probably going to get sick at some point..."

"But Nat-"

"Go to sleep, bitch."

* * *

><p>"Wake up baby, wake up Princess..." Sonja stood over her sleeping daughter and patted her cheek,<p>

"Mommy, I'm tired..."

"You're not six anymore, that's not a viable excuse, now shift it."

"Why?"

"Because you're getting married today, sweetheart."

Magenta sat bolt-upright,

"SHIT!"

Nation woke up, so did Kimi, Ansalong and Columbia,

"What, what is it?"

"What time is it?"

"We need to be at the church in 6 hours."

Magenta lay back, "That's enough time..."

"I made reservations at Aunt Kami's salon, Genta, you can protest all you want, you need to do something about your hair. And your nails too."

"I wasn't going to protest. And I didn't know Aunt Kami had a salon."

"She does, she's got your cousins working for her!"

"Who's this Kami?" Columbia questioned,

"My sister." said Sonja, "And her daughters, Alisha, Havana, Luchya and Anysa."

"Wow..." said Columbia.

"What?"

"No offense, Genta, but your cousins' names sound made-up even for, like, you know, where you come from."

* * *

><p>"God, Mother, zip me up!"<p>

"Easier said than done, Princess."

"Kimi, keep that Coke away from my hair!"

"Sorry, Nat."

"OH GOD, MOM, DON'T TIGHT-LACE ME!"

"Genta, I'm done."

"I can't breathe..."

"I thought you'd be used to that by now?"

"Nation..."

"Sorry!"

The hospital room was a disaster, makeup was scattered everywhere, perfume, a few strands of Nation's newly-straightened hair. Sonja was lacing Magenta's dress at the back, Kimi was brandishing a soda, the droplets landed on the ends of Nation's hair and un-straightened them, Ansalong was pole-dancing on an IV pole, Columbia was shooing people away.

Cosmo looked in and saw Sonja binding her already-skinny daughter with the help of her high-heeled foot.

"Ladies, you have five minutes before you have to leave, Frank Jerome and Sonny and I are going now, Brad's mom drove him and we're meeting him there."

"WAIT-" Magenta snapped, covering her mouth with an oxygen mask as she was constricted, "Frank has to walk me down the aisle, and he's going to be wearing a dress, I don't want Brad's family burning him at the stake."

"Not to worry, Sonny emailed them a few days ago."

"Since when was he the wedding co-ordinator?"

"Since he set up a website."

"HE WHAT?"

...

Frank peeked between the double doors of the church.

"It's a full house, pretty good turnout, I recognize most of the Alvarado family, a few Majorses, but just Angie and Daniel."

"Brad's there, right?"

"Genta, everyone's there." Frank stood next to Magenta and took hold of her hand, "I can't believe I get to give you away! Yay!"

"Nobody could believe you were doing it. They thought my dad would be doing it."

"We're Likians, sweetheart, that's what we do."

Nation turned around and made a slashing motion across her throat with her finger, Cosmo tightened his grip on her forearm. Kimi and Sonny giggled in front of them.

Suddenly, classical music began to softly play, the doors slowly opened and Ansalong and Steve began to enter the church, closely following Rayna, who was tossing rose petals onto the heads of the families and friends. Then followed Columbia, then Kimi and Sonny. Then Cosmo and Nation.

Then reality set in, and Magenta froze.

...

His fiancee could not have looked more beautiful.

Her delicate body was gently enveloped by the white lace dress, showing what was left of her curves, in one hand, she held a cluster of red roses and calla lilies, and Frank held her other hand.

It was evident that she was leaning heavily on him.

Brad began to sweat, suddenly every eye in the church was on Magenta, her long red curls spiralling down her back, her sparkly green eyes growing wider. Nation glanced at him and smirked.

In seconds, she was at the altar, Dr. Roz Strauss began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Magenta Lucine Rosalie Alvarado and Bradley Holden Majors in marriage. With love and commitment, they had decided to spend their lives together as husband and wife."

Brad's hearing began to fade, he zoned out until Dr. Strauss said,

"I understand the two of you have written your own vows...?"

Magenta froze, "Oh, God... I didn't have time-"

"Actually, I have something." Brad whispered, he pulled a sweaty piece of paper out of his pocket and began, "Today my life begins, today, I have a marital status and a real legal standing. Today, I am accountable for someone other than myself. You're all I want out of my existence, you're the reason I can feel this way, and you're the woman who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm ready for whatever happens, I promise. I'll be right here."

Magenta stared for a second, a few tears sparkled in her eyes before Brad felt her lips being forced against his, she glanced at Roz and pulled away,

"Sorry."

"It's fine, sweetheart, I'm pretty sure nobody's going to object. Y'all can go at it. By the power vested in me, I got ordained last week, and the state of New York, I now pronounce you kids husband and wife, how very cute..."

Brad kissed Magenta this time. Cancer was leaving the picture, the church was suspended in space, the cheers of the families and friends became muffled, so did Talya's horny screams. It was like a dream. A beautiful dream.

The dream ended when Magenta pulled away and left Brad in shock.

They had done it. They were married. Everything was fine.

There was blood next to Nation's shoe on the immaculate church floor, horror had registered on her face and Kimi was actually standing in front of her, just about every head in the church turned to stare as the two women fled to the washroom.

_10 minutes later._

"So where are you and Mackenzie going for your honeymoon, sweetheart?"

"_Magenta_, Aunt Sarah, and we're going to Tokyo."

"Oh dear, a third-world country."

"It's Japan..."

"Oh. So, did you notice?"

"Notice what?"

"Oh, the maid of honour was bleeding. I'm sure I'm the only one who noticed, though."

"Yeah, that happens sometimes. Uh, she, she kind of has... an... _illness_... that causes that to happen. Ovarian cancer."

"The Cancer?"

"It's pretty bad, so don't bring it up around her. And Magenta has it too."

"That lovely girl you were marryin'?"

"Yeah, she has leukemia."

"Oh, well, bless her cute little heart."

...

Brad and Magenta wedged themselves into the back of Cosmo and Nation's convertible. Nation turned around in the front seat.

"Okay, we have 20 minutes to get to the reception."

"Nat, I'm tired."

"Here." Nation tossed a full bottle of an unidentified energy drink into the backseat.

"What is this?"

"Special juice!"

"Special juice?"

"Don't you watch Toddlers and Tiaras? You're gonna be bouncing off the walls!"

Magenta took a sip and gagged, "What the fuck is in that?"

"...You'll see."

"NAT! You totally put a drug in there!"

"...Not this time..."

"Can we just get going?"

"I agree."

...

The reception was at Cosmo and Nation's house. The yard was decorated, the furniture had been moved out of the house and was sitting in the back of a moving truck for the time being, Vitamin A was running around the yard.

"Our house... Cosmo, did you let them-"

"Nat, you were there."

"Oh. Right."

"I'm vibrating." Magenta whispered. "I'm literally vibrating."

Brad held Magenta's hand, she glanced at him, her hair was disheveled, "You couldn't have looked more beautiful tonight."

...

Hours passed and the reception was still going strong. Kimi and Sonny were doing tequila shots, Brad and Magenta were silently making out in a corner and Nation was standing in place. Cosmo had gone somewhere, and she couldn't remember how she had gotten there. It was her living room, all the furniture was gone. Replaced by people. She started to down the hall, the dining room had been moved outside. The front yard had become... a freaking dining room. But with multiple tables spread across the vast porch that circled around the house. With candles. And flowers. And Brad getting Magenta pregnant next to the fireplace... Nation stood over her place at the table. With a white plate and other things that you would find at a dinner table.

Everything started to spin all at once, Nation found herself sprinting inside, she pulled Magenta off of her new husband and dragged her upstairs,

"NAT, YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK MY ARM!"

"Just, hurry up..." Nation threw the bathroom door open, another Alvarado/Majors couple who had obviously met just hours ago were violently grinding against a wall, "Get out." Nation squeaked, they stood up and left. Nation rifled through the drawers, a pair of clippers fell into her hand.

"Nat..."

"Did you know that Cosmo started shaving his head when I got sick?"

"Yes, I knew."

"Maybe... I know it's gonna happen... I might as well just get it out of the way."

Magenta stared for a second. "You can't do this."

"I need to."

"Nat!"

BZZZZZZZZZZZ

"Oh Good Lord."

"What, how bad is it?"

Magenta pointed at the mirror. Nation turned around and gagged.

"I...I..."

"It's not that bad, really!"

"I LOOK LIKE COSMO..."

"Well, you _are _twins."

"I look like female Cosmo..." Nation burst into tears, "I'M FUCKING HIDEOUS!"

"Nat, you're beautiful!" Magenta placed her hands on Nation's shoulders, "You look perfectly fine. Now go downstairs."

...

Everyone was completely thrown when Nation entered the living room with no hair. Talya almost dropped her chocolate strawberry to scream 'YOU A DAMN SEXY BITCH!', Cosmo's mouth fell open and Nation wasted absolutely no time in shoving her tongue down his throat,

"Mm-Nat-"

"Shut up."

Magenta smiled and left. As Nation pulled away Cosmo was silent, Nation went back to her spot at the table.

But there was something out of place.

A little slip of paper on her plate with '_To Nat_' written across it. Nation unfolded the paper. All it read was,

_You're still beautiful._

_Steve._

Nation froze. She could sense almost every eye in the general vicinity of the house staring at her. She frantically looked around for Steve. He was at his place at the Majors family dinner table. Nation walked over to him, he stood up,

"Nation, hi."

"I got your note."

"Really?"

"And I just want you to know that I'm probably dying, and I know that you might think this is funny but it's really not. I look like this because I'm sick."

"Nat, I don't-"

SLAP!

Before Nation could realize what she'd done, her palm was stinging and Steve's face was turning red. In seconds, she was running back into the house. In heels.

...

"Cosmo!"

"What... Steve?"

"Nation just slapped me."

"She what?"

"Slapped me. I said she was beautiful and she just slapped me."

"Steve, really?"

"Really what?"

"She's fucked up, okay? The radiation... it kind of, uh, made her... semi-retarded."

"Are you sure that's not insensitive?"

"Not when it's true, she doesn't mean anything by it, she doesn't know any better, she's always going to jump to the worst-case scenario, in this case, that you were commenting on her hair, or lack thereof... She doesn't understand compliments anymore."

"Oh God... I'm sorry..."

"It's fine."

...

Brad went upstairs and banged on the guest room door, only to be met by muffled screams, he opened the door, all he could see was a flurry of heels and makeup...

And his wife's boobs.

"OH GOD!"

"BRAD, WHAT THE HELL?" Magenta screamed, covering her chest,

"I'M SORRY!"

"DON'T YOU DARE APOLOGIZE, GET OVER HERE!" Brad slowly walked into the room, Nation and Kimi were peeking out from behind a closet, Brad slowly looked Magenta over, standing in front of him, topless, but he could overlook her beautiful body then, because all he was thinking about was everything going on just below the surface.

Brad ran downstairs before he could remember how sick she was.

...

"ALRIGHT, ONLY 20 MINUTES BEFORE MAGENTA AND BRAD LEAVE FOR TOKYO!" Sonja announced as Magenta emerged at the top of the staircase, turning her back and throwing her bouquet into the flock of women at the bottom of the stairs.

One hand shot up above the others, a hand with about 300 bracelets and multi-coloured nails.

Kimi had caught the bouquet.

Sonny squealed across the living room. The whole reception froze.

The Furter and Tanaka families were screwed.

...

Magenta found herself standing at a payphone, Brad was filling out the forms that would allow them to be upgraded to First Class.

"Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Hi, baby, I thought you'd be in the air by now."

"They had to upgrade us, they overbooked Coach."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Is Nat there?"

"No, she and Cosmo got completely wasted, Olivia drove them back to the hospital."

"That's good."

"Be sure to call me when you arrive at your hotel, and tell Kimi to go easy on the sugar."

"Okay, I love you Mommy."

"I love you too, Princess."

...

Brad pulled a white blanket over Magenta's lap as she closed the small plastic blind on her tiny window.

"I'll stay awake and tell you when we get there."

"I love you..."

"...I love you too."

"Goodnight." Magenta closed her eyes, Brad looked around and saw Kimi a few rows back. She looked at him and smiled from behind her SkyMall.


	14. Buy Some Time

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 12. Buy Some Time. **

**Ninety-Six Smiles, thank you, you always help so much! **

**And the Japanese that I use for Kimi talking to her family may not be accurate, sorry about that, I don't speak Japanese, so I used Google Translate... :(**

* * *

><p>Tokyo, Japan, 7:30 pm.<p>

"Brad, wake up, we're here."

Brad opened his eyes to see Magenta and Kimi leaning over him,

"Should I poke him?"

"Don't."

"Are we there yet?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>New York, 9:00 am.<p>

Steve was still walking through the halls after six hours, thinking about his brother. In Japan, with his skanky, dying wife and an even skankier student nurse who vaguely reminded him of an anime prostitute. He barely noticed the woman standing in front of him.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi, ma'am, are you lost?"

"I don't know..." The woman slurred seductively, "HI, I'm Juana, are you single?"

"Not sure, good luck with whatever..." Steve began to walk away,

"HEY, HEY, WAIT WAIT WAIT! I'm actually here to see someone, a patient. Nation McKinley?"

"Uh, what?"

"Nation McKinley! I'm a friend..."

* * *

><p>Steve opened the door to Nation's room, Nation glanced up from her phone and jumped a few feet off her bed.<p>

"NATTIE!"

"Oh... Mom!"

"MY LITTLE PRINCESS! Can you believe this cutie-patootie? He a doctor here?"

"No, he's a predator, fresh out of college."

"Where's your brother?"

"He's getting me another blanket, it's cold in here."

"Tell me about it, we're people, not polar bears, we can't function in a gall-darn icebox..." Juana glanced at Olivia, "Oh I'm sorry, I'm Juana McKinley, Nat's mom."

"Oh... okay, I'll leave you two." Olivia minced out of the room, as did Steve. Nation slapped herself in the face and Juana sat down on her bed,

"OH YOU SILLY GIRL! I TOLD YOU THOSE TANNING BEDS ARE TROUBLE!"

"Tanning beds?"

"You know, the cancer."

"Actually I didn't get mine from a tanning bed-"

"I'm not stupid, Nation Alyssa McKinley. Oh, remember when, ummm, when Tricia had cancer, she had... breast cancer... which is a shame, 'cause she had such a great rack, remember you used to do all those little exercises to make yours grow! And she had 'em cut off, both of 'em! And then, that Tricia, she had 'em re-built, or whatever, and they were at least ten times better, life gave her lemons, she made cantaloupes!"

Nation laughed nervously, "So how long are you in town?"

"Just until your cancers go away."

"What-"

"Nat, I've been absent for a while now, and you and Cosmo can't do it alone. So I intend to stay, now I hear Magenta's here too..."

"She's in Tokyo for her honeymoon, she got married."

"LITTLE MAGENTA ALVARADO GOT _MARRIED_?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Tokyo, Japan, 8:00 pm.<p>

...

Kimi ran ahead through the airport screaming. Her pink Shape-Ups pounded the linoleum floor. Magenta was holding her suitcase across her lap in her wheelchair and Brad had given her his jacket.

"WHERE IS THE CAB!"

"I think it's outside, Kimi."

"Get back here! People are staring." Brad snapped as Kimi's high-pitched screams woke copious babies in the airport, she glanced towards a window,

"OH CRAP! THE PARK HYATT TOKYO CAB! WE MISSED IT!"

"Ours isn't supposed to come until 8:30."

"WHAT IF IT CAME EARLY?"

"Kimi, calm down, go get yourself something sugary." Magenta handed Kimi however many yen would buy her candy at the little store in the airport.

"Thanks." Kimi ran away across the airport and skidded into the store. Magenta exhaled heavily, Brad gently touched her shoulder,

"Are you still feeling okay?" she rested her hand on top of his,

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, but that's fine."

"You're tired? Like how..."

"Like I have leukemia, Brad. It makes me tired, but I'll be okay, I promise." Magenta glanced at Brad and smiled, "Oh God, I forgot, Nat sent me a picture of her new tattoo, she got it after the reception." Magenta held up her phone, it was a picture of Nation's skin, Brad could see the waistband of a black thong and the tattoo. It was a teal cancer ribbon, it seemed to wrap around the scar from her hysterectomy.

"So... explain this to me. I'm not sure I get it."

"The teal ribbon is for ovarian and uterine cancers, basically everything involving... lady parts."

"Nice way of putting it, let's go get Kimi."

...

"COULD THIS CAB TAKE ANY LONGER?"

"Kimi, it's only been five minutes."

"What if we missed it?"

"Kimi, we didn't miss it."

"IT'S RAINIIIIIIIIING!"

"We know."

"COME ON... CAAAAAAAB! HURRY UP!"

Brad exhaled, exasperated, "Kimi, don't scream. I'm taking Magenta inside, you wait for the cab out here."

"All alone?"

"I can't let Magenta catch a cold, you should know, you're a nurse."

"I'm immunocompromised."

"Aaaaauuughh... Can I at least call Sonny?"

"Long distance? Be my guest."

Brad wheeled Magenta back inside, Kimi was left alone in the cold.

...

"You're shivering."

"I'm fine."

Brad laid Magenta down on their bed, Kimi had passed out hours earlier.

"Are you sure, I don't want you to get sick." Brad covered Magenta with the sheets, "You need to rest, okay?"

"Can we at least...?"

"I don't know, you look tired."

"You worry too much, baby."

Brad laid on top of Magenta's delicate body and gently kissed her forehead, "I just can't let anything happen to you."

Magenta smiled, "I understand, goodnight."

"I'll just be a second."

Brad got his MacBook from his bag and typed 'Tourist attractions in Japan' into Google. He clicked on the first result.

_'The Children's Peace monument is located in Hiroshima, Japan. It was erected to commemorate Sadako Sasaki, who died at age 12 of radiation-induced leukemia from the Hiroshima bombing-'_

It was impossible to escape. Leukemia was everywhere. On the internet, in Japan, in _Magenta_. It was impossible to escape. It was closing in. Brad slammed the computer shut, threw it onto the couch and shut his eyes, pulling Magenta closer.

The damn paper cranes could kiss his ass.

* * *

><p><em>...<em>

* * *

><p>New York, 10:00 am.<p>

"NATION McKINLEY, WILL YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF THIS HOSPITAL ROOM?"

"Shut up..." Nation whined into her pillow,

"Why are you still asleep? Nat, we're a family of early risers. remember, when you were six, and Cosmo got up at four in the morning and complained that the sun was sleeping in? He broke a plate out of rage."

"Cosmo was insane. And he still is. He invited you here."

"No, Nat, I didn't."

"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU. I'M TIRED."

"Well, of course you are, Nation."

"BE QUIET, MOTHER."

"Is that a tone? Are you using a _tone_ with me?"

"Wow, family dynamics!" Olivia announced, walking into the room with a clipboard.

"Olivia, you're a doctor, can you have her removed?" Nation snapped.

"You wouldn't dare." Juana growled.

Olivia minced past, "Okay, you have a CT scan today, Juana, you know that it, right?"

"Well, I'm not stupid, Blondie. I wasn't born yesterday, I know what a CT scan is. I hope that Nat can just... get rid of them ugly-ass moles. She's been tanning again, I think..."

Olivia fell silent, "Nation... can you explain... the situation to your mother...?"

"Oh... okay."

"Good, Cosmo, if you can come with me, thanks."

Cosmo and Olivia left the room, Nation and Juana were left alone.

"What is she talking about, explain what?"

"...Mom, I don't have any moles. My cancer is on my ovaries. And in my blood."

"Well, you don't have skin on your ovaries, Kitten, that don't make a whole lot of sense-"

"No... uh, remember when Grandma had that... tumor on her lung?"

Juana nodded, "Grandma died...Nation! You have a mole! That's it! That's all..." Juana's voice trailed off, tears began to form in her eyes,

"Okay, Mom, please, what I have is nothing like what Grandma had- I'm fine-"

"NAT-"

"I'm sorry, I should have told you- I-"

Juana stared Nation in the eyes, "If you don't get better, Nation Alyssa McKinley, I will personally see to it that-" Juana's tears came rushing back and she collapsed across Nation's body.

"Mom, listen, tomorrow I'm having a CT scan, to see if I've metastasized, if I haven't, I'm fine-"

"What if you have?"

"Then Olivia will fix it."

Juana was silent. "And to think, I thought she was a dumb blonde..."

* * *

><p>1:00 pm<p>

Nation woke up to see Olivia, Cosmo and Juana standing over her,

"You're all here again..."

"You need a CT."

"Right... okay..."

"Don't worry, Kitten-Cat!" said Juana, "I bet those... mats are just gonna be... teeny-tiny!"

"It's mets." Cosmo corrected, "Like in metastasis."

"Oh, like baseball!"

"Sure. Okay." Nation began to get out of bed, Olivia took her hand. "You really shouldn't get your hopes up."

"Nat, sweetheart, that's like telling lions not to... kill them little deers they like to eat."

...

"If these scans aren't good, I swear to God-"

"Nat, stop, your scans are going to be fine."

"How do you know?"

"You've been improving, it's obvious-"

"But how are you going to explain it to... _her..._ if they're not?"

"I won't have to."

"These scans better be good... they better be..."

...

2:00 pm

"Good news!" Olivia announced a few hours later, "The mets are almost gone!"

"Seriously?" Juana jumped up, "OH BABY! YOU'RE GETTING BETTER! You make your mommy so proud, wait till I tell Tricia! I'll go call her now!" Juana ran into the hallway, Nation and Cosmo both glanced at Olivia,

"What did the scans really show?" Nation whispered,

Olivia took a deep breath, "Well, your mets have shrunk, substantially, but, uh, there are new, different mets."

Cosmo sat next to Nation and held an arm around her shoulders, "Where are they?"

"Nat, they're in your cervix."

"No-"

"It's okay, we caught it early, and we start aggressive chemo and radiation tomorrow. So be sure to get lots of sleep tonight, you're going to need to keep your strength up."

"...Are you going to tell her?"

"Eventually. I think she needs a little time though, hearing that your daughter is developing cervical cancer is never easy to hear, I think, if you start to get a lot worse, I'll call her in Denton, but right now, it's our secret."

"So, how is my treatment going to be from now on?" Nation squeaked, Cosmo pulled her closer,

"Strenuous. It really will be debilitating, you'll need to be on IV supplements, you'll be in pain, seemingly all the time, the burns from the radiation will become pervasive, but we will be able to make your recovery easier, we'll put you on painkillers, and you will be able to rest in between treatments." Olivia handed Nation her iPhone, "I want you to call Magenta in Japan, she knows what this feels like, she can help."

"Okay. Thank you, Olivia."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Tokyo, Japan, 3:00 am.<p>

"Okay, Nat, I'm so sorry, do you need me to come home? Okay, see you in two weeks, get better..."

Brad was woken up by Magenta's hushed voice next to him. She was sitting up in bed on her phone, she put the phone down and broke into violent tears. Brad sat up, gently rubbing her back in slow circles,

"What is it? What did Nation say?"

"It's in her cervix now, the cancer spread."

"Oh, God-"

"Her mother is at the hospital, she thinks Nat's getting better, but-"

"Ssh... ssh... She'll get better. I promise."

Magenta glanced at Brad, "You're right, I'm going to make breakfast."

"At three?"

"We can get up before Kimi."

"You're sure you're not too tired...?"

"I'm okay, baby, how about I just get room service?"

"The hospital's paying, let's do it."

...

Magenta had fallen back asleep after a while, Brad let her sleep, just staring at her. His wife, _his wife,_ with the plastic tubes in her nose and the dark circles under her eyes. Even when she was so sick, she was beautiful.

Magenta stirred and Brad brushed the hair out of her face.

"Good morning, baby."

Magenta looked up and smiled,"What time is it?"

"It's about five."

"Mmm, still early, where's Kimi?"

"We don't have to worry about _her_ for a while."

Brad smirked and began to undo Magenta's bra in the back, instead she leaned into his contact and stayed there. It was obvious that she was tired.

"...you look beautiful..." Brad squeaked, Magenta leaned back,

"Do you think I should call Nat?"

"If you really feel like you need to, but-"

"Cosmo? Is Nat there? She is...? How far in is she? Is your mom gone? That's good, you and Nat need to be alone. So how long does she have until it's done? Okay, tell her to call me if she feels alright when it's over... Bye."

"Did you ask how long she has to _live_?"

"God no, she's in radiation, I asked how long it would be until it was over." Magenta paused, "...We don't know if the treatment will work. It's twice every day now, four treatments in a day, no human being can survive that, I don't know what they're thinking..."

Brad pulled Magenta closer and gently stroked her hair, "You know, Nat's a bitch, she's an entitled, loud-mouthed bitch, but I love her just as much as you do, and I know that she wants to make it. For us."

"Nat may be a bitch." Magenta smirked, "But you're conceited. And it's hot."

* * *

><p>New York, 6:30 pm<p>

"Nat, Magenta called."

"She what?" Nation laid down, "When?"

"Around five, do you feel okay?"

"I think I can make a damn phone call." Nation picked up her phone and speed-dialed Magenta, "Brad, is Magenta there? Okay, put her on... Genta, hi, yeah, I'm fine. No, I'm okay, I promise. Yes, of course, really? That sounds kickass! I love you, bye." Nation hung up, "She's the happiest she's ever been."

"I'm sure she's been-"

"Cosmo, she's been sick since she was two, I don't think she has." Nation fell silent, her face darkened,

"What's wrong?"

"We can't get married... I mean, what's the point, it's not like I have much time left anyway-"

"Nation, stop. Please."

"YOU'RE IN DENIAL!" Nation half-sobbed. "YOU KNOW I'M DYING!" Nation dried a few tears as they escaped down her face,

"Don't do this, baby." Cosmo whispered, "It's not worth it because you're not dying..."

"God, that's what you always say. And I always metastasize after that. You really need to s-"

Cosmo cut Nation off by laying down on top of her, placing gentle kisses across her face,

"All your hair's gone but you're just as beautiful..."

"Don't fucking lie to me."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Shut up, Nat." Cosmo tore the hospital gown off his sister's pale shoulders, Nation's chest shuddered as she began to hyperventilate,

"...you slut..." Nation squeaked, smirking a little bit,

"You were asking for it, I'm only a slut because you're too beautiful to pass up, okay?"

"Be quiet, you slutty liar."

"So now I'm a liar too?"

"You're a sexy liar, so- ahhhhh..."

"I'm gonna...-" Cosmo was interrupted as Olivia opened the door,

"OH GOD! THIS IS A HOSPITAL, PEOPLE!"

"We have clothes on..."

"Nat, he's stripping you."

"Get used to it, we're incestuous for a reason."

"I'm never going to get used to seeing the two of you in bed together. Nation, you have another chemo session in fifteen minutes."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I really am-"

"No, it's fine, I just-" Nation coughed violently, holding a hand over her mouth as blood ran from between her fingers.

* * *

><p>Tokyo, Japan, 7:30 am.<p>

Kimi went into Brad and Magenta's room and found them both still asleep. Brad had his arms wrapped around Magenta in a protective way, her face was buried halfway into his shoulder. Kimi stared for a while until Magenta opened her eyes.

"Kimi? Why're you-"

"I, uh, left something in here." Kimi dropped a dime out of her pocket and picked it up, "Found it."

"Great."

There was a moment of silence before Kimi fled the room.

...

"Brad, wake up."

Brad opened his eyes to see Magenta leaning over him, her hair spilled into his eyes, he pushed it back,

"Good morning, how early is it?"

"About 7:30, we need to go."

"Go where? It's early."

"Dialysis, we're late."

Brad smirked, "No, we're not, we're not in New York anymore."

Magenta exhaled heavily. "We need to go. I need to have dialysis so I don't die."

At the mention of the D-word, Brad got out of bed and started to get dressed.

...

8:00 pm

"This is wonderful." Brad bitched in the cab back to the hotel from the hospital, "Our first day in Tokyo and she has dialysis."

Magenta glanced at him and smiled a little, "It's fine, I don't mind."

"You're not tired?"

Magenta shook her head, "I'm okay."

Kimi smirked behind her magazine.

...

"_Arigato, _Ichiro-kun. _Damare! Kare no bokkusu ni kare o modosu, ANATA BAKA!_"

"Who was that?"

"My brother, Ichiro, I have family here, you know."

Brad was silent for a second, "What about room service?"

"I can run down. To the restaurant, I mean, y'all should have a few minutes alone at least. Where is Magenta, anyway?"

"Shower, I checked on her, she's fine. You were on the phone, screaming at your brother."

"Shut up." Kimi tittered. "I'm going downstairs." She left just as Magenta opened the bathroom door,

"Where's she going?"

"To get dinner."

Magenta smiled a little, sitting down on the couch, it was then that Brad noticed she was only wearing a towel. Her red curls spread across her shoulders. She looked astoundingly healthy, or maybe the hot water had just put a little bit of colour back into her skin, however, the look on her face was healthy-looking, she was smiling, but something was there that hadn't been there for a long time.

"So, we have 13 days left in Japan, I say we make the most of it..." she whispered, and all at once she dropped the towel.

"Sex before dinner-"

"Yeah, you're right, we should wait..." Magenta wrapped herself up again, "What's Kimi getting?"

"No clue..."

"Oh, baby, I love you so much..." Magenta whispered, laying down across Brad's lap, he stroked her wet hair,

"I love you too, I'm so glad this happened..."

"You're all I want-" Magenta whispered as Brad laid down next to her, suddenly tears began to spill out of her eyes,

"What's wrong?"

"...I don't want to leave you..."

"You don't have to leave me..."

"But what if-"

"Nothing's going to happen, I promise."

"How can you make that promise?"

"I d-" Brad was about to answer when Magenta's phone rang, Magenta sat up,

"Fuck... oh shit." she got up and grabbed her phone, "Cosmo, hi, oh God, what- how- damn it..."

"What is it?" Brad whispered,

Magenta covered the receiver, "Nat's sick... do you need us to come home? Okay... how is she, can she talk to me? Okay, call me when she wakes up- she is? Okay, put her on... Nat, hi, you don't sound so good, it's probably just the chemo, it happens to me all the time, if you need me to come home just call me, okay? Alright, bye."

"How is she?"

"Not so good, she has a fever and a headache, and various other things, I don't know, I'm just worried about her, the treatment really affects her, I don't know, maybe even more than me. Because she's had more strenuous treatment..."

"She's fine."

"Brad... she's... I should call back..." Magenta dialed Nation's number, "...Nat, sorry, I just had to call back, how high is your temperature?"

* * *

><p>New York, 8:40 pm.<p>

Cosmo opened the door to the bathroom attached to the hospital room, his sister was lying in the bathtub in the cold water, her cheeks were still flushed and a small stream of blood was pulsing steadily from her nose.

"Nat...? Are you okay?"

Nation looked up, "I don't know..."

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"...I don't want you to catch what I have."

"I think I'll take a chance." Cosmo sat down on the floor next to the bathtub. "Should I page Olivia?"

"No, it's not that bad." Nation whispered, "You're gonna have to get out of here, though, and hand me that towel over there."

Cosmo handed Nation a light blue towel and left. About two minutes later she opened the door and sat down on her bed.

"Do you feel any better?"

"I don't know..." Nation whispered, laying down, "I wanna die."

Cosmo sat next to his sister and brushed non-existent hair out of her face, "You're burning up, sweetheart, I think I need to page Olivia."

"Fine..."

* * *

><p>Tokyo, 10 am.<p>

Kimi woke up late, she was embarrassed at first, until she found Brad and Magenta still asleep together. Brad had dark red lipstick smeared across his face and Magenta's bra was unfastened. Kimi started to make some coffee and searched her bag for any candy, she found a roll of Sweet Tarts and dug in.

In short, Kimi was upset. She'd been up with Magenta the previous night, through a night of coughing and partial respiratory distress. Magenta was too sick to be out of hospital, she was too sick to be having _sex_ every night. She was much too sick to still be alive.

Brad woke up all at once, gently lifting Magenta's arm from his shoulder, he got out of bed and sat down across from Kimi at the kitchen table,

"Do you know anybody with a mini-van? Maybe a Rondo?" **(Kia Rondo, my family has one)**

"Funny you should ask, my aunt just bought one, she lives across town."

"Well, I'm gonna need to borrow it, I don't have a tent and I don't want to make Magenta sleep on the ground."

"I don't know where you're going with this, and quite frankly, you're scaring me."

Brad was quiet, he glanced around and smirked. "I'm taking Magenta to the beach!"

"Wow. How fascinating. I can't wait to read more about it in your upcoming novel, 'The Day I Took My Sick Wife To The Beach and Got Punched In The Nose By A Student Nurse.', Are you crazy? You should be locked up someplace!"

"Don't worry, I'm not making her walk there, I need to borrow your aunt's minivan, I'm planning on car-camping. I've wanted to do it since I was twelve!"

Kimi thought this over for a second, "...Fine. I'll ask my aunt."

"Thank you so much! We'll finally have time alone! Not that... we don't like having you around, we do, but-"

"Alright, shut up!"

...

Kimi's aunt's house was in a rich neighbourhood in Tokyo, it was blue and pink. A few cats were sleeping on the front steps. A middle-aged Japanese woman ran out onto the sidewalk,

"AH! MIKO-CHAN!"

"Kon'nichiwa, oba-Hiroko."

"Karare wa desu-ka?"

"Sorehada Brad, to kare no tsuma Magenta."

"Konojo wa kawaiidesu."

"What's she saying?" Magenta whispered,

"She's saying how pretty you are- oba-Hiroko, Brad wa anata no kuruma o kariru hitsuyō ga aru."

"Watashi no kuruma?" The woman nodded and smiled.

...

Brad packed the cooler into the trunk of Hiroko Tanaka's Rondo. Laying his MacBook on top of it, he closed the door. Kimi and Magenta came into the driveway,

"Okay, you have your medication, right?"

"Yes, I have everything I could possibly need. I actually think I'm overpacked..."

"I just don't want anything happening to you. I'll be at the hotel if you need me, my cousins are coming over, be sure to call my cell when you get there."

"Fine." Magenta sat down in the passenger seat. Brad drove away with Kimi waving in the parking lot.

...

In an hour and a half, Brad and Magenta had arrived on the beach, it was completely vacant, white-capped waves were slamming violently onto the warm yellow sand. The light was violently beating down so that the Rondo's dashboard burned on contact, a smile spread across Magenta's pale face,

"Brad... this is beautiful..."

"I knew you'd think this was a good idea."

Magenta smirked, getting out of the car and pulling her shirt off, then her skirt, "Let's go swimming."

"In the ocean?"

"What're you afraid of, sharks? Hurry up!" Before Brad could wrap his head around what was happening, his incredibly sick wife was physically immersed in... _ocean_, it was insane. Brad began to take his clothes off, within seconds, he was joining Magenta in the salty waves. "Get your ass over here!" Magenta screamed, Brad caught her as her delicate body slammed against his, he lifted her off her feet, their mouths coming together as a wave devoured them, with his hands travelling over Magenta's subtle curves, Brad pulled her closer, saltwater surged, dripping out of her beautiful red curls and streaming between their bodies.

Screw Hawaii, _this_ was a dream honeymoon.

...

The sun was going down by the time Brad and Magenta got out of the water. They had walked halfway down the beach when Magenta's phone rang,

"Did you really feel the need to get your phone?"

"I just want to make sure I have it if anything happens to Nat." Magenta pulled her phone out of the middle of her bra, "Shit, it's her- Hello? God, Sonny! Well, how the hell am I supposed to know where your silver lamé pumps are? That sounds good, okay, I'll tell her. Bye, sweetheart."

"What'd he want?"

"Well, he couldn't find his favourite shoes, Nat's fine but Cosmo started drinking again... and he referred to Kimi as 'The Hot Fox With The Crispy Bangs'."

"That's attractive..." Brad glanced at Magenta's right hand, the one he wasn't holding, a few chunks of beach glass were visible next to the white skin of her palm, Brad had seen the tiny jars full of it on her nightstand at the hospital. Magenta leaned her head into his shoulder,

"I love you so much... And this is even more than I asked for, it's hard to believe... I mean, I wasn't supposed to live past the age of six at the most, I'm so glad I did now, because I could die tomorrow but it won't matter because I could be with you for the last n-"

Brad silenced Magenta by pulling her into a forceful liplock that effectively shut her up. As he shoved his tongue down her throat, he pleaded with an unknown person that this wouldn't be the last night.

...

Brad was beginning to lay down when he noticed the amount of pills Magenta had. It was weird, like she was trying to overdose.

Magenta put the cap back on a canister of ATRA and closed the bottle of sleeping pills.

"I'm done."

"You took everything?"

Magenta nodded, "Are you seriously asking this question?"

Brad paused for a second, _Of course I'm asking this question. I don't want to lose you..._

Magenta opened the laptop and turned on the Toddlers and Tiaras Season 4 DVD that Sonny had given Kimi for their 2-month anniversary, "It's so trashy..." she smirked, Brad laid down next to her and she buried her face into his shoulder, "If I fall asleep, don't wake me."

...

Brad was wired for the rest of the night. Like a two-year-old that had had too many donuts. Televised pageants and stress never mixed well. Magenta had fallen asleep at about the sixth episode. As he was staring at her, Brad started to wonder about the past few months. In September, when he had first seen her in the hospital, he didn't really understand the seriousness of what was happening. That was when he thought cancer was one single disease that killed _everyone_ in it's path. It was when he didn't understand the process of radiation and before he had fallen unconditionally in love with her. She had been through hell in the first three years of her life, let alone the next twenty, twenty-three years that she would never get back. He remembered the way she had been treated in high school, the way people had thrown her around, taunted her, threatened to pour miscellaneous liquids into her central line.

This wasn't a life that anyone deserved. Nobody deserved to need aggressive treatments to make it through a year, or having to live in a hospital with little to no firsthand experience of the outside world, nobody, let alone Magenta, who had done nothing wrong in her life, deserved to be in constant pain, or terrified of death every waking minute of their existence.

Brad began to wonder if it was all worth it, all the treatment, countless hospital visits, pain, tears that had been shed, everything that had happened. All he had wanted was her, he loved her, when you love someone, you want their life to be worth living. But leukemia can really fuck up your plans.

Brad began to think about how easy it would have been. Maybe if Sonja had gotten an abortion, or even miscarried. Rayne would still be alive, Frank would maybe be less depressed, therefore less violent, Brad would never be under stress, Nation wouldn't find herself caught in the cancer tornado, she might not even have any.

What if Magenta Alvarado never happened...?

The feeling that overtook Brad's mind at that moment was a mixture of horror, self-loathing and extreme anger, mixed in with despondency and hatred of everything to do with cancer, cancer treatment and the pain that Magenta was put through every single day that he could never alleviate. Brad opened the back of the car and leapt out onto the sand.

He didn't notice the tears on his face until the sea breeze hit and made them cold.

...

Brad woke up early in the morning, the gentle yellow sun was streaming through the car window and hitting Magenta's beautiful face perfectly, except in the places where it fell into the cracks between her cheek and the tubes in her nose that kept her breathing each night. Brad stroked her face, he had watched her sleep for most of the previous night but he didn't seem to get tired of it. He started to get choked up when she whispered his name in between soft cries of various words related to hospitals. It only reminded him that it was nearly all she knew.

Magenta's quiet ringtone, You And I, began to softly play as her phone vibrated in the cup holder in the front seat, Brad climbed through the car and grabbed the phone, Nation was calling.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Brad." said Olivia,

"Why does everyone suddenly use Nat's phone?"

"Because it's the only one that works. I shook a can of Coke and, well... I don't really feel like going into detail... How is she?"

Brad looked down at Magenta and pushed some hair out of her face. "She's... good."

"How did she sleep?"

"Fine. She slept fine."

Brad could almost hear Olivia smirking on the other end, "How 'bout you?"

"...SHUT UP!"

"Okay, fine, Kimi told me about your idea to sleep in a car... Kind of stupid, really. If I was Magenta, I'd personally take it upon myself to kick your ass, but... That's just me. She awake?"

"No."

"Well, don't wake her, just tell her I phoned, Nat's fine, the mets in her cervix are downsizing nicely, and Rayna misses y'all."

"Nice, and before you hang up,"

"Yeah?"

"Doctors don't shake Coke."

"Kiss it, Majors."

With that one remark, Olivia hung up. Brad set Magenta's phone back in the cup holder and laid back down next to her, gently wrapping his arms around her thin shoulders and stroking her face. Her un-straightened hair was spread across the pillow and still damp from the previous night, a light sweat had broken out across her nose.

"...mmm..." Magenta whispered as she began to wake up, "Brad, wh-" she started to laugh, "Were you talking to Olivia?"

"Sadly."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" Brad whispered, gently pressing his lips against Magenta's as he lay on top of her. "I told her you're fine, and that everything's great..." Brad began to slide Magenta's bra strap off of her shoulder,

"You know..." Magenta whispered into Brad's shoulder, "I'm not giving up, I'm gonna really try, for you, and Nation and Columbia and-" Magenta coughed quietly, Brad leaned back,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just-" Magenta coughed harder and leaned over, cupping her hands over her mouth.

Before Brad knew it, Magenta's lap was soaked with blood.

...

Kimi pushed back the partition that separated Magenta's bed in the ER from the rest of the patients'.

"Alright, we can go back to the hotel."

"Are you serious?" Brad's head snapped up, "She was coughing up-"

"Blood, I get it. She'll be fine, let's go. I'll drive." Brad lifted Magenta off the ER bed and followed Kimi to the car.

...

"Okay, Hanako, I'll be right there, bye!" Kimi hung up her phone, "Me and my friend Hanako are going out. But, call me if you need anything."

Brad pushed the hair out of Magenta's face, she was laying on the couch. Brad was sitting next to her.

"Why are you speaking English to her?"

"Because her dad is from North Dakota. That's why." Kimi snapped, "I'll see you in a few hours." Kimi left. There was silence for a few seconds before Magenta spoke.

"I'm so sorry."

Brad glanced at her, "What-why? Why are you sorry?"

"I ruined the trip." she squeaked, "I ruined it."

"No, baby." Brad whispered, lifting Magenta's head into his lap, "You didn't ruin the trip, okay? I'm just glad you're feeling better."

"Mmm, I'm gonna Skype Frank, okay?"

"Okay."

"Can you call Nat? Just, see how she's doing..."

"Okay, baby. You need anything."

"I'm fine."

Brad handed Magenta his laptop and left the room, dialling Nation's number.

...

The first thing Frank saw when he signed into Skype was Magenta's face staring straight at him.

"Hi, Genta, how are you?"

Magenta smiled weakly, "Not so good."

"Shit... what happened?"

"...the usual stuff."

"Oh baby, I wish I could be with you."

"It's okay." Magenta smiled, "How's Nat?"

"She's doing better, she misses you." Frank paused, "She's kind of losing her filter..."

...

_Denton, 1996, Juana McKinley's POV._

_"I can't do it."_

_"Just try okay?"_

_"SHUT UP COSMO!" _

_All I can hear from the living room are my kids arguing in the kitchen. The topic of this week's blowout is Nation's latest 5th grade English homework. _

_"You know you can read it, you're just not letting yourself."_

_"I AM TOO! I can't read."_

_"Yes you can. You passed kindergarten, didn't you?"_

_"... I don't want to go to a special school."_

_"You're not going to go to a special school."_

_"Oh yeah? Remember when Janice's sister got in that fight and she had to go?"_

_"Well... Janice's sister is... special."_

_"How do you know I'm not? I can't read. You can read, and we're twins, I don't get it!"_

_Three years ago we found out Nation was dyslexic. Cosmo started off thinking it was just code for stupid and would stop at absolutely nothing to push his sister over the edge. It took him six visits to the principal's office, all of Nat's self-esteem problems and a broken wrist to realize that this was no laughing matter. He suddenly became supportive. The first time, Nation thought he was kidding and using his newfound sweetness as a ticket to anything he wanted. She had nearly given away her entire room before he finally told her that he was willing to help._

_Nat is convinced she's going to a special school. I mean, with Magenta in the hospital every other week, Rayne causing trouble every other MINUTE and Cosmo just being himself, she's exposed to cancer, crazy, and her brother. It's enough to make a kid paranoid. Luckily, there aren't any special schools in Denton. But apparently, Special Ed is the same thing._

_"This is probably the easiest assignment you'll ever get!"_

_"I have to write a story, not even YOU can do that..."_

_"Yes I can, I handed mine in last week. Mrs Hyland is giving you extra time. Don't you want to show her you don't need it? You have the whole plotline in your head, so just write."_

_"But I can't. I just can't..." Nation is silent for a second, "Hey! I could recite the story in my head, and you could write it for me!"_

_"Yeah, I could do that. IF YOU WANT TO GET SENT TO A SPECIAL SCHOOL IN CLEVELAND. Just try."_

_I can hear my daughter's voice getting teary, "But I can't spell any of the words... Can I get Magenta to do it? She's always complaining about how bored she is in the hospital, I bet she'd like a little homework to spice up her life..."_

_"That's insensitive, Nat."_

_"Oh, I'm sorry, just my stupid brain talking."_

_"YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE! DO YOUR HOMEWORK YOURSELF! I'M NOT HELPING YOU ANYMORE IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TRY! I HAVE MY OWN LIFE TO WORRY ABOUT! I CAN'T ALWAYS SUPERVISE YOURS!"_

_..._

"It's good to hear you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I guess I am..."

"...I miss you... So much, you can't understand-" Magenta was beginning to see tears in Frank's eyes.

"I'm okay, Frank, I'll be fine, you need to stop worrying."`

Frank was silent for a second. "Okay, fine, I have to go now, I'll call you tomorrow."

"I love you." Magenta whispered, turning the webcam off as Brad walked into the room.

...

_I love you_

_I love you_

_I love you_

The words echoed in Brad's head as he watched Magenta undress, as she was taking her makeup off, Brad suddenly began to remember why she would be saying those words in an empty room,

_I'm gonna Skype Frank, okay?_

Magenta turned to Brad and smiled a little,

"Okay, I've taken everything, I'm going to bed, okay?" Brad nodded a little as Magenta gently kissed his cheek, "I love you."

Before Brad could censor himself, he blurted out, "Do you?"

Magenta froze, "Of course I do... What-?"

"I heard you Skyping with Frank. You love him, don't you?"

"Oh, sweetheart-"

"Of course you had to wait until I left the room."

"We weren't doing what you think-"

Brad raised his hand, Magenta braced herself, he stopped and dropped his hand.

The tears began streaming within seconds, Magenta looked down as Brad held a hand over his mouth,

"I'm so sorry, I-"

"No, baby, don't apologize, please, it's my fault..." Magenta wrapped her arms around Brad's neck, "I would never cheat on you, my love."

Brad was silent as Magenta left the room.

...

Brad woke up early the next morning, at about 4. Magenta wasn't in bed. Brad stood up, he could hear quiet voices coming from the washroom, Kimi opened the door with tears in her eyes,

"Brad... She's... she's been throwing up for the past two hours, I don't know what's wrong..."

"Slow down, what's happening?"

"... I think it's her kidneys. She hasn't had dialysis in a while, which could-" Kimi broke down. "We need to get her to a hospital now. She's gonna die if we don't."

Brad shoved past Kimi into the bathroom, Magenta was laying silently on the tile floor, blood was streaming steadily down her face from her nose, she suddenly jerked to life, gripping the rim of the toilet and retching convulsively. It took a second for Brad to notice tears. He sat next to her, gently touching her hand,

"Are you okay?"

Magenta laid her head in his lap, "It's over."

"Don't say that." Brad snapped, almost too forcefully, "You promised me you wouldn't talk like that anymore."

"... Don't leave..." Magenta whispered, "I don't want to be alone..."

"I'm not leaving, my love. We have to go to the hospital though."

"I can't."

"You need to, or you won't improve."

Magenta coughed violently, Brad slowly sat her up, "I'm dying..."

"No, no, you're not. I won't let that happen."

"You can't control- Oh-"

Magenta threw her head into the toilet, her body shuddered as she threw up again. She leaned back,

"We need to go call an ambulance from the lobby, can you stand?"

Magenta shook her head, Brad gathered Magenta into his arms and stood up, he felt her shivering, Kimi emerged in the doorway,

"Brad, wrap her in blankets before she loses too much heat."

"She's sweating, though."

"I'm cold-" Magenta squeaked desperately,

"Kimi, get my jacket for her." Kimi grabbed Brad's jacket and laid it on Magenta, "We don't have time to call an ambulance."

"We don't have a car."

"Can't we call a taxi?"

"BRAD, THAT'LL TAKE LONGER THAN AN AMBULANCE!"

"Can't we just get one off the street-"

"THIS IS NOT NEW YORK CITY, YOU CAN'T JUST RUN OUT INTO THE STREET-"

"Brad, I'm dying-"

"Kimi, we need to go. NOW."

* * *

><p>Kimi came out of Magenta's room after a little while,<p>

"The nurse in there says they've put her on dialysis because of the appointments she missed. She also said that if we hadn't brought Magenta in, she would have died. Right there in the hotel room."

"How's she doing now? Are we allowed in there?"

"No. She's probably at the hardest part of the dialysis now. They're not letting anyone in, only me because I'm a nurse."

"I need to be let in."

"You can't. It's what's best for her."

"She needs me-"

"I think you need her more than she needs you. You need the assurance that she's okay, when I'm telling you she will be fine in a few hours." Kimi handed Brad her phone. "Call Nation. Cosmo emailed me that she's getting worse, she's depressed, she can't focus on anything. You need to tell her Magenta's fine."

"But-"

"YOU'LL. LIE. THEN."

Brad took the phone and dialed Nation's number,

"Hi, what do you want." Nation's voice answered on the other end,

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh God. Brad... This better be good."

"It's Magenta. Uh, we're at the hospital now, because she missed a lot of dialysis appointments and she got pretty sick, but she's fine now."

"...Great. Can I hang up now?"

"Uh... I..."

"Because I'm off chemo, so I put on a lot of weight and now I'm a fat-ass and also... I can't read anymore."

"What?"

"Like, I can't read."

"I don't- Nat, are you okay?"

"No. I'm not okay. I'm dying. I feel like shit, I can't read, I had a seizure last night."

"You did? Shit, are you okay?"

"I'm n-" Nation was cut off as she coughed violently and was silent, Brad suddenly heard Cosmo's quiet voice on the other end.

"Sorry, Brad, maybe tomorrow."

"Uh... yeah..."

"How's Magenta?"

"...Great. She's wonderful."

Cosmo hung up the second Brad did. Brad handed Kimi the phone and a nurse came out of Magenta's room, waving Kimi over, they whispered something in Japanese and Kimi looked back over, Brad had a mini heart attack.

"Brad." Kimi called, "She can see you now. She's awake, she asked for you."

Brad started towards Magenta's ICU door, upon opening it, he found a smaller room than the one he was used to in New York. Magenta was barely awake in her metal bed, her body seemed to be devoured by the sheets, and every inch of her body seemed to be violated by wires, tubes and needles.

Her eyes flickered to the door, they were filled with tears and her skin was cast light blue.

"Oh, baby..." Brad choked out, rushing towards Magenta, he collapsed at her bedside, she turned her head slightly to face him,

"th- uh... they let you in? Mmm- how- how'd you get them to let you in?"

"No. Ssh, don't say anything." Brad almost demanded, he laid down in Magenta's bed, pulling the covers over the both of them, he gathered Magenta's frail body into his arms, she rested her head against his chest. "Neither of us need to talk."

Magenta exhaled heavily, Brad kissed the top of her head as she buried her face deeper into his now tear-stained shirt. She was shivering. Kimi opened the door silently and snuck into the room, sitting down silently in a chair at the end of Magenta's bed and folding her hands in her lap, only moving them to adjust the cat ear headband that had slipped a few inches.

"Brad, I need to talk to you outside."

"Kimi, it's not a good time."

"Brad. You need to come now."

"It's okay." Magenta whispered, "If it's important you need to go... I'll be okay."

Brad slowly stood up, as if trying to leave Magenta some of his body heat. He followed Kimi into the hall,

"What is it?"

"Brad, you never mentioned Magenta's leukemia in the forms you filled out."

"I didn't think-"

"Brad. They want to deport you."

"What? No... they can't, Magenta needs this, I need to give her normalcy before something happens."

"Brad. Something _has_ happened, you can't give her normalcy, this is normal for her."

"She can't make the trip on her own."

"She won't, you'd be with her, and you'd be in a MediVac plane, which is a smaller, private plane that's equipped to Magenta's needs."

Brad collapsed onto a bench in the hallway and covered his face with his hands, "She wanted this so badly... we still had another week."

"I'll try to do something, I have a citizenship here, I may be able to help. But for now you need to go in there with her, just be with her while you can."

"Please promise me you'll try to fix this, Magenta can't handle being thrown out of the country."

"Brad, I promised I'd try. The government is heartless but I'll try. But she's sick, and this could very well be for the best, I don't know."

* * *

><p>New York, 6 pm.<p>

"COSMO. GET IN HERE."

Cosmo glanced at the bathroom door where his sister's screams were coming from, he stood up and opened the door, Nation was standing at the sink in a bra and unbuttoned jeans,

"What is it? Are you okay?"

"No. My jeans don't fit. And this bra feels like a boa constrictor." Nation's face turned from blank to horror, "I'm becoming Abby Lee Miller..."

"Nation, it's 30 lbs, I think you're fine."

"None of my clothes fit."

"I can let them out for you." Cosmo handed Nation a Victoria's Secret sweatshirt that was laying on the bed, "Here, it's probably still way too big."

"Well, obviously. That's the point."

* * *

><p><em>Magenta hit the asphalt hard as she was ejected from the car as it slammed to a stop. Blood was pulsing from the cuts in her palms and her face, but she suspected the pool of blood she was laying in wasn't hers.<em>

_It wasn't. Nation was lying about three feet away, her eyes were wide open. Magenta dragged herself to where Nation was,_

_"Nat... what happened... how did it crash- Brad, she's not moving! BRAD! PLEASE JUST TALK TO ME!"_

_Suddenly, Magenta heard a thump and loud, distressed screaming, it was coming from the other side of the car. _

_Magenta started to stand up but just collapsed, her leg was probably broken, she'd have to drag herself there, but she didn't know where she was. _

_She glanced around, Frank was laying facedown about ten feet away, bleeding heavier than Nation. Kimi was next to him... Sonny... Brad, Cosmo and Columbia were nowhere in sight. _

_The person on the other side of the car stood up, the voice was unmistakeable. _

_"COLUMBIA?"_

_"WHAT HAPPENED?"  
><em>

_"I don't know. I think my leg's broken..."_

_"We need to call someone..."_

_"Where's Brad?"_

_"He and Cosmo are in the front seat, Cosmo's dead, I don't know about Brad, he was kind of just staring..."_

_Magenta began to crawl weakly across the pavement, Columbia ran over to the car. She tapped Brad's shoulder. In the light of the streetlights, Magenta saw him collapse onto the dashboard as her vision began to weaken..._

_..._

Magenta woke up screaming. Luckily, she, Brad and Kimi had not been deported. Still, she kept screaming, waking Brad up in the process. Before he could sit up, she found herself running into the hallway, grabbing a blanket off the couch as she went.

...

Kimi woke up as the door slammed at about 3 am. She saw Magenta get into bed when she opened her eyes. She watched for a few seconds,

_Oxygen, check, regulator, check, aaaaaaaaand... I can get up now._

Kimi slowly stood up and inched into the kitchen, she decided to observe Brad and Magenta from behind the counter. The tiles were cold against her bare feet. She contemplated putting socks on but decided against it.

Magenta coughed and Kimi almost had a heart attack. She began to walk in circles to try to slow her heart rate down. Any display of illness from Magenta was enough to set Kimi off. It was impossible to deal with.

Kimi thought about going back to sleep. She just couldn't. She'd seen Magenta up and she was freaking out. Instead she sat down at the end of their bed, Magenta's suitcase was laying open next to the bed. A few bras were hanging out, a slutty looking thong, the hem of a skirt and a puffy thing that she didn't really know what it was, she pulled at it and withdrew a sickeningly adorable stuffed cat. It was fluffy. Fluffy and too damn cute.

Magenta stirred and Brad subconsciously hugged her tighter. Kimi placed the cat under Magenta's arm and went back to bed.

* * *

><p>New York. 7:00 am.<p>

Cosmo woke up with Nation asleep next to him, her hair was beginning to grow back. It was a lighter red than before, but she'd always wanted to look more blonde so at least she'd be satisfied.

She had put on weight. After her hysterectomy it was a given. And she'd been off drugs and Olivia had taken her off chemo. There were even more factors after that. She hated it. If the loss of her hair wasn't enough, the illness and the weight gain was beginning to drive her up the wall.

Cosmo actually thought it was pretty hot. She had curves again, she no longer looked like the drug addict she'd been. Once her hair grew back she'd be a fucking knockout.

Nation began to open her eyes, she almost laughed and whined in a weird sing-songy voice,

"I know you're staring at meeeee... and you can stop... like, now."

"Do you feel okay?"

"I don't know, did the size of my ass go down at all?"

"Nat, stop. You look gorgeous."

Nation got out of bed, "I don't want to be a fat-ass like I used to be. I looked like a pageant mom until four years ago."

"Pageant mom?"

"Oh come on, like you've never watched Toddlers and Tiaras over my shoulder."

"Actually, you tied me to the couch, but, you know..."

"What exactly is too fat for my height?"

"You're absolutely fine."

"Feel my boobs. FEEL THEM."

...

Tokyo, 4 am.

Brad closed his suitcase and placed it on the luggage cart, there was still an hour until they left the hotel and got back on the plane to New York. Kimi was packing everything else and they were letting Magenta sleep until everything was packed.

"I think that's everything." Kimi said, exasperated, Brad sat next to Magenta and gently started to shake her. She smiled,

"Get..."

"We're leaving, baby, wake up."

"Yeah... no." Magenta smiled, shoving Brad gently and burying her face back into her pillow, Brad stood up,

"I'm giving you five minutes, baby. If you don't get up within five minutes I swear to God-"

Magenta sat up and began to take the tubes out of her nose, "Happy now?" she started taking her clothes off, Kimi made a big deal of looking away and fluttering her hands over her face, "Okay, she's freaking out, pass me my bag." Brad put the suitcase on the bed and Magenta pulled out a few articles of clothing and blindly put them on, then zipped it back up, "Here, you can put this on the thing."

Brad put the bag on the luggage cart, Magenta sat in the wheelchair next to the door, everything was packed, within minutes, they had left the room.

...

When the flight was over, the plane descended into the city lights of NYC, Brad had allowed himself to space out, when the plane landed, he noticed Magenta was leaning her head into his shoulder and Kimi was passed out against the window, he woke Magenta by gently shaking her, she opened her eyes,

"Are we here?" she squeaked, glancing at Kimi, "Wake up... we landed."

Kimi jolted awake, "MY GOD!"

...

It took a while to leave the airport. When they got back to the hospital and magenta got into the hospital bed, Brad finally realized that the trip really hadn't fixed anything. And this was still their normal.


	15. Welcome Back to Hell

**In Which Magenta Tastes Forbidden Fruit. Chapter 13. Welcome Back To Hell.**

**Ninety-Six Smiles, thank you, you always help so much!**

* * *

><p>Brad had gone home to his parents' for the night, Magenta told him it would take her a while to get adjusted to being in hospital again so she would give him some time. When he woke up, his phone was full of texts. They all read 'EMERGENCY' and they were all from Magenta.<p>

...

He arrived at the hospital within about half an hour and ran towards Magenta's room, she was leaning over a bed that didn't belong to her, she whipped around and saw him standing in the doorway,

"What's wrong? Why did you text me so much?"

"While we were gone... uh... actually the day we left the hotel... Nat... she had a blood transfusion, and they gave her too much and she had... she had a heart attack."

Brad noticed Cosmo sitting next to the hospital bed, the room was mostly empty except for the four of them and Magenta's unmade bed, which was surrounded with three chairs.

Nation, surprisingly enough, was conscious, Brad walked slowly over to her bed and stood over her, her eyes got huge,

"WHAT THE FUCK WHY ARE YOU-" she started to interrogate but fell back on her pillows and coughed violently. Magenta stroked her hand, Brad started to notice that she looked different, "YEAH, BITCH, I GOT FAT, STOP STARING." Nation screamed, "30 POUNDS UP IN THIS BITCH-"

"Brad-" Magenta interrupted, "There's also something else I wanted to tell you."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"My parents bought us a house."

"They what?"

"Yeah, it's a block away from Nat and Cosmo and five blocks away from the hospital. It's three floors, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, you know."

Brad threw his arms around Magenta's waist, "We're really getting there aren't we?"

"But neither of us work, how are we going to pay for this house?"

"My parents are loaded!"

"We can't mooch off of them!"

"We can until I get a job! I can go to medical school, I have an education, it's legal, what if I became an oncologist, you'd never have to go to another hospital again-"

"I can't work though, I don't even think people will hire me if I'm sick. And I don't have enough of an education to get a real job-"

"We'll be fine, I promise."

"What about my medical bills?"

"Don't you have insurance?"

"It's not free, I can't have my parents pay for it forever, they already bought us a house..."

"You're too nice, that's the problem."

"No, I'm a bitch with a guilty conscience."

...

After a while, Sonja showed up at the hospital, she told Brad she had to show him the house and within seconds she had driven him away, the silent drive lasted for about half an hour before they pulled into the driveway of a three-story house,

"Is this it?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking you and Genta sleep in the bedroom in the front and there's four more bedrooms, one bathroom attached to the front room and another on the middle floor. The kitchen is nice-"

"I need to pay you back."

"Sounds like you're the bitch with the guilty conscience. I was there the whole time listening to y'all from the shadows of the hospital... It's all painted in there, Genta and I compromised on the colour scheme because I couldn't bring myself to let her talk me into having it painted all black, unfortunately we can't go in because the paint fumes are evil and the place is full of sawdust because Genta told me to tell them to add in a few new windows."

"It's gorgeous..."

"There's a backyard too, I'm having my sister go over once a week and plant things. It'll be good once you kids start having babies."

"Can she have babies?"

"Hopefully, she's making a good recovery." Sonja's phone rang, "Hello? Olivia?! Oh God, okay, okay, we'll be there."

Sonja started to drive away before Brad could question it.

* * *

><p>"She started convulsing a while ago, we didn't know what was wrong so we took her to neurology and they ran a few tests and she may have meningitis."<p>

"What the fuck are you talking ab-"

"Brad, please. Olivia, Genta's already had meningitis, she was eight."

"You can get meningitis twice. And we aren't even sure that's what it is yet. We're running some tests right now, we expect her to be in there for a while. Also, Brad, what's your blood type?"

"O negative."

"Okay, I'm going to need you to go to Dr Strauss's office and she'll see."

"About what?"

"If you can give Magenta this kidney."

"What? Wait, I can-"

"If you're eligible. You probably are but we need to be sure. You won't need any blood tests because we have a record of the blood you've donated."

Brad started to run down the hall until he found the room with ROZ STRAUSS; GENERAL PRACTITIONER written across the window, he started to bang on it until Roz came to the door with a look on her face that was honestly terrifying.

"What the fuck are you doing out here?!"

"Olivia told me to come and ask if I can give Magenta that kidney."'

"Oh God, I thought you'd be coming around, alright, take a seat." Brad sat next to Roz's desk, "Okay, do you have any history of high blood pressure?"

"No. I don't think so."

"Any history of kidney disease, HIV or cancer of any kind?"

"No, never."

"And you're not diabetic, so that's good, there _is_ something I'm concerned about."

"What's that?"

"You've been drinking a lot, since you've been with Magenta."

"I need it, honestly, her disease is too stressful to deal with sober."

"It can negatively affect the kidney. I can't give her a half-assed kidney. You can still donate but you'll need to stop drinking."

"How in the hell am I supposed to deal with this sober?"

"You don't always have to be around her all the time. I know you may think she needs you every second of the day but the two of you need a break from each other."

"I don't need a break from her."

"Brad, you're becoming an alcoholic to deal with this, and that's only going to harm her if she gets this kidney."

"I can't smoke, that would be worse and that might remind her that she can't smoke anymore so she'll start again and need more surgery."

"What is wrong with you?! Why are you so worried about her? She's not a child, she can make choices for herself."

"Not when she's coked up on morphine."

"And to think I married y'all."

Brad glared at Roz, "I just want to give her this kidney and have everything be done. I don't want leukemia to be a part of my vocabulary anymore."

"Adorable." Roz scoffed, "You sound like Your Sister's Keeper. That would be creepy since she's your _wife_ but whatever..."

"Don't you care if she makes it or not?"

"I can't get too attached to patients. Of course I care, and I can say I like her a lot, but I haven't treated her as long as Olivia has, I can't say she's like my sister because I'd be lying. But of course I don't want her to die. That's the last thing I want." Roz glanced at her pager and made a face,

"What, what did that page say?"

"She's bleeding out."

"She's WHAT?"

"Olivia has it under control." Roz closed a book on her desk, "Brad, do you want to give Magenta this kidney?"

"Absolutely, I'd take her place if it would mean she'd get better."

"Well, you're eligible. Go tell Olivia."

...

Brad took the long way throughout the hospital, looking into windows as he went, he passed by a few of Magenta's old rooms, Maternity, which was just depressing, it was depressing that people could be happy and celebrate life when life is painful and will always end in death. Brad began to think about whether or not that baby would ever be in Magenta's or his situation. He passed by a large white room that seemed to be devoted to... occupational therapy? It could have been a mental ward or something, a chubby girl who looked to be about sixteen laid in a large crib with big, scared eyes, watching shadows pass along the wall she was facing, a teen mom held her baby who looked like it had Down Syndrome and passed it plastic blocks, a little girl stumbled on forearm crutches followed by her proud, smiling parents. A middle-aged wife watched as her husband began to stand out of his wheelchair. Brad ran down the hall, trying to forget all the hopeful things he'd seen, the fact that the baby would probably never be judged for being 'retarded' if society made progress, that the little girl would be walking easier soon, and wheelchair guy would be fine. And the girl in the crib was getting the help she needed, and she would live. After leaving that area of the hallway Brad was back in oncology, and Sonny was waiting.

"Hi Brad."

"How's Magenta doing?"

"They're still working on her, where were you?"

"Hating myself and looking at happy people."

"That happens to me at CVS." Sonny smiled and his eyes seemed to glaze over,

"You know what, Sonny, we haven't talked for a while, and I'd just like to tell you that you're being so good about all this. I really think you'll be okay."

Sonny was silent for a second, then gave Brad a severe look, "You're just like everyone else."

"I don't know what you're-"

"You know my brain works fine, right? I can understand English, so you don't need to talk slowly. I can read."

"Sonny, I'm not-"

"I'm surprised you haven't just wrapped Magenta and Nation in bubble wrap or some shit like that. I honestly thought that being married to someone like her and having a brother who's a PREDATOR, you would try to see people for more than what's wrong with them."

"...You're sixteen and you came up with something like that?"

Sonny tapped the side of his curly black head, "Aspergers."

Olivia came into the hallway, "Brad, I-... Sonny, how about you go in there, I just need to talk to Brad for a second."

Sonny went into the small room where Olivia had been seconds before.

"What's wrong... what happened?"

"It's not meningitis.

"Thank God... what is it?"

"We're still running tests, we will be for a while, you can come in now, I just want to warn you... she's not doing well."

"How bad is it?"

"I was about to ask you to go home, but then I figured I wanted her to be able to see you before we put her under."

"Why are you putting her under?!"

"We're running tests, okay?!"

"Just let me in, please."

Olivia pushed the door open, Magenta was laying surrounded by Kimi, Frank, Columbia, Nation and her parents. Nation looked tired. Columbia was stroking her hair and it looked like Kimi was shoving a tube down her throat.

"It's an endoscope." Columbia clarified, "They're seeing if she's metastasized."

Magenta's eyes were closed, Brad stood over her and she opened her eyes, tears began to spill down her face, Brad put a hand on her cheek,

"Just stop... it's okay, baby."

Magenta started to cough violently and Kimi's hands jerked off the tube, Olivia swooped in to push it down farther, Brad could see what looked like insides on a screen a few meters away,

"Okay, Kimi, pay attention, see, there's no cancer in any of these areas." Magenta coughed harder, "Kimi, put her on oxygen, and turn the regulator up all the way." Kimi shoved another tube into Magenta's mouth. "Frank, I know you're not medical staff but we don't have enough people here, I need you to stick that... needle there in her wrist." Olivia pointed at a syringe that was laying on a table full of clear liquid. Frank started to pick it up and kind of shakily injected Magenta, her hand tightened around Nation's. Sonja put a hand on Brad's shoulder,

"She should be fine in about six hours. Olivia said it's fine for us to go home."

"I don't know, I can't leave."

"She's not going to get any better by having you stare at her."

"What if she dies?!"

"She won't die, believe me, I've been in worse situations with her, they're just running tests."

"Why do they have to run tests? We know what she has."

...

"This is my favourite." said Angie as she clicked through the album of photos she'd created on Facebook labelled, 'BRAD'S WEDDING'. She had been stuck on caps. It was a picture of Magenta waiting outside the church,

"She looks happy."

"I know, you made a nice choice with her, she's pretty and my grandbabies are going to be cute."

"Mom, if she dies, will you make me get remarried?"

"I guess not, but I can't see why you'd want to say something like that."

"She's at the hospital right now, having tests and they think it's meningitis."

"Not everyone dies from meningitis."

"With an immune system like hers she probably will."

"They don't even know that's what she has, Brad. You're a sweet boy but you worry about her too much. I raised you so I can expect it."

"Aunt Diane raised me in Denton while you were recovering from alcoholism."

"Brad Majors, you watch your dirty mouth." Angie snapped, slamming her laptop shut, "Or I'll be shoving powdered donuts down your throat until the ass-crack of dawn. Pointblankperiod." The phone rang across the room, Brad began to stand up, "I will get it, son. I'm not letting you near the outside world, go get some tequila." Angie answered the phone. "Hello? No, he's getting tequila, this is Angela. Okay, darling, I'll tell him, you have a nice evening too. Byebye."

"Who was that?"

"That nice Sonny. He says she's still being tested but they've ruled out meningitis."

"Oh thank God."

"So tell me more about this kidney thing you've been talked into."

"I volunteered."

"Are you getting paid?"

"I'm _donating _the kidney."

"I can't believe people these days, giving charity to their significant others."

"It's not charity, it's a life-saving organ."

"Excuse me, Mr Smartie-pants." Angie pulled a pencil out of her hair, "I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning."

"What time is it?"

"It's about ten."

"Where are dad and Steve?"

"Your daddy is at the office late tonight, and Stevie should be back soon."

"That sounds fun." Brad whined.

"Oh, hush. Your brother is a very nice person."

...

At around nine in the morning the next day, Olivia called. Brad wasted no time driving over to the hospital. Olivia met him on the third floor,

"How is she? You look awful."

"Yeah, that's because we started working on her at 11 am yesterday, and we haven't stopped until about five minutes ago. She's in room 317, she's still resting so don't disturb her... also..."

"What, what did you find?"

"Nothing in her brain, she had been bleeding into her esophagus but there's no cancer there. Also... you know how there had been a lot of bruising on her right leg?"

"I'd noticed some."

"Yeah, well, we found bone cancer from the mid-thigh down. We're amputating."


End file.
